Changing Fate
by dreamchaser21
Summary: AU Narutoverse! Takes place right after Sasuke tries to capture the Eight Tails. Main pairing: SasuNaru/NaruSasu and other side pairings. Two teenage girls and their friends traveled back to the past in order to complete a long-term mission that could possibly save their futures and the world. TIMETRAVEL FIC! OCs are present!
1. Introduction

* * * INTRODUCTION * * *

Hi there! This is my first ever Naruto fanfic written and I hope that you will enjoy it. I've read so many stories on this website and a good bit of them inspired me to write this story: "Products of our Future" (Elloshort) and "The Blessed Realm"(senior-witch).

**Summary:** Two teenage girls traveled back to the past in order to complete a long-term mission that could possibly save their futures and the world.

**Pairings:** SasuNaru/NaruSasu

**Genre:** A little of everything. (Adventure, Drama, Comedy, Family, Horror, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Fantasy, Supernatural, etc.)

**Warnings:** Character Deaths, Violence, Blood and Gore

**Rating:** M for Later Chapters

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Naruto. OCS belong to me. If I did, then Naruto and Sasuke would of been together by now...and Sakura would back off.

Let me explain a couple of things before you read the story. My story will consist of special stories after every five chapters. Some might play a part in the story and some won't. And the story will switch from one OC character to the next. This is my first story, so please go easy on me. Reviews and suggestions are welcome. So without further ado...let's start the story with the prologue!!!!


	2. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

In their so called home, there were two young girls standing in the middle of a dark, deserted room. One of them is holding a scroll as the other one waits for her sister's instructions on what to do next. The girls were packed and they cleaned up their home for they will gone for a long time. The taller one had blackish-bluish hair with matching eyes wearing a blue outfit and the slightly shorter girl had blonde hair with cerulean blue eyes wearing a orange and black outfit.

"Hey, Nariko, are you sure this is a good idea?" spoke the shorter sibling." I mean we'll always have each other. Even if we were to fail this mission."

"If our parents believe we can change fate, then that's what we're gonna do. Besides, we're not exactly pushovers, you know that Miyuki?" Nariko reassured, hoping that Miyuki will somewhat become a little more confident about continuing this mission.

"But, remember what they said to us? We can't do anything to alter with the past. The results of that could be catastrophic!"

"Miyuki, as long as do what we have to do, then everything will be fine. Trust me...okay?" Nariko said to her once more, trying to convince her.

Apparently, Miyuki has the tendency to worry a lot. No matter how much you assure her that everything will turn out all right. Miyuki sighs in defeat, knowing there is absolutely **NO** way of getting out this and absolutely **NO** way of arguing with Nariko. "All right. Perform the technique..."

Nariko nods. She performs the necessary hand signs(15 to be exact)and two black portals opens up on the floor behind the two girls. Fear was beginning to set in as Miyuki looked inside the portals. The portals look deeper than anything that she has ever seen. Miyuki was starting to get a bad feeling about all of this. This was a jutsu that they were trying for the very first time. Was this even safe? Considering the possibilities, they could end up anywhere.

"Miyuki, are you ready?" Nariko asked, seeing her sister drift off into her own world.

"Oh...yeah. Don't forget the promise, Nariko."

"Don't worry. I won't."

"Don't use that power unless it's absolutely necessary!" The two siblings said in unison.

"I love you, sis. You be careful, okay?"

"I will. I love you too, Miyuki."

The two siblings give each other one last hug before they prepare themselves to enter the black abyss...the portals that will take them to the past...to start their long term mission together. Nariko and Miyuki backs up just enough to be able to fall through with ease. And at that moment, the two girls jumped in, leaving their world behind to begin their journey...

"Miyuki, Nariko!" yelled a female voice and the two portals vanished from the floor before a woman bust the door right off its hinges with her monstrous strength. She was breathing hard from running all the way from the Hokage's Mansion to their house. After a few minutes, her breathing calms down.

"Please don't tell me..." The woman scans the room and the girls were gone. "No...I'm too late..." The woman slams her fist into a nearby wall, making a small dent. "Damn it! These girls are gonna get themselves hurt or worse. I don't even want to think about the consequences about what could possibly happen..."  
_  
*~*Two days ago~*~*_

"Don't worry Sakura-sensei, we'll be okay." Miyuki announce to Sakura.

"We're not called the Gentle Flame and Roaring Thunder for nothing!" Nariko said with her famous Uchiha smirk.

Their words echo in her mind as her long pink bangs falls over her eyes and she raises her head up slightly. Her pure confident green orbs were now filled with worry. Sakura knows how strong the girls are but she was concerned about how everyone in the past will react to this.

"No one would possibly believe that shinobi can travel through time or can use time travel techniques. It was unheard of and it didn't even exist during my time as a shinobi..." Sakura complained. "But the girls are already gone. There's nothing more that I can do..."

Miyuki and Nariko, The daughters of Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha begin their journey in order to restore peace in their future and possibly save the world from a terrible fate. All she could do now was have faith and believe in them...

_'I hope that they are the ones who can change fate and bring you guys back...'_ Sakura thought. _'I really do...'_

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**The Journey Begins**

Two shinobi get the surprise of their lives when a certain kunoichi makes her appearance...


	3. Chapter 1: The Journey Begins

**CHAPTER 1**

The Journey Begins

The birds are chirping. The sun is rising on the horizon of Konohagakure and Naruto wakes up peacefully in his bed as the sun rays seek its way through the satin blue curtains in his room. He sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and he looks out his window as he felt the warm breeze from outside. Naruto smiles and the breeze fills his room with its calm scent as he stretches in his bed.

_'The weather is nice and calm today...Something interesting is gonna happen...'_

After fully waking up, he goes into the bathroom to take a nice, hot shower to get ready for the day.

...knock...knock...knock...

After an hour, he emerges from his room refreshed in his trademark shinobi clothes.

"Man, today is gonna be great! I can feel it!"

...KNOCK...KNOCK...KNOCK...

"I'm gonna go to Ichiraku for some ramen and hopefully, I can get a new mission today."

Grabbing his wallet off the nightstand near the couch, Naruto walks towards the door to leave until...

**BAM!**

The door flies off the hinges and slams right into Naruto's face, making him fall backwards from its strong force. _'Not again...'_ Naruto lifts the broken door off his body to gaze upon a familiar female. She walks into his house with her arms crossed and begins to tap her foot in irritation.

"Didn't you hear me knocking, Naruto?" yelled a pink-haired girl. She seems like her normal self today... right?

Naruto stood up as he placed his hand on his forehead, rubbing the spot where the pain was, "Sakura-chan, good morning..." he answers flatly. "That's the fifth door I had to replace in the last three months..."

"Well, Naruto, if you answer your door, this wouldn't happen so much." Sakura retorted back in her defense. "Sorry about that."

_'Early in the morning and she's already fired up. I hate it when she's like this. Lately, it's like her strength is increasing every week.'_ Naruto thought.

Most people would get concussions or end up in the hospital after getting clobbered with wood like that but thank god that he has the Kyuubi.

_'I guess he didn't hear me knocking.'_ Sakura changed the subject quickly and went back to why she was here at Naruto's house, "Naruto, you have to come with me right away."

"Can't it wait, Sakura-chan? I want to at least go to Ichiraku for some breakfast first." Naruto whined. If he didn't haven't any breakfast to start his day off right, he wouldn't be any good for the rest of the day.

Sakura shakes her head, "No, it cannot. Master has requested you and myself. We have a new mission."

He hasn't gone on any missions for a while now and he was getting tired of not be able to cut loose. This is just what he needed and there was no way he was gonna turn it down.

"A new mission? Why didn't you say so? Let's go!" Naruto grabs Sakura by her wrist and they both ran out before she could say anything else.

"Naruto, what about the door to your house?" Sakura asked, looking at the empty door frame. She knew that leaving his house like that was not the best idea.

"Don't worry about it! I'll buy a new one!" he said as they hurried to the Hokage's Mansion. Naruto is still hyper as ever when a new mission comes up. He'll never change.

_'I hope his house will be all right...'_ Sakura was feeling somewhat guilty for wrecking the door of his apartment...again...

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Naruto and Sakura were in front of the Hokage's office. Naruto began to knock on the door numerous times.

"Come in." came a voice from the other side and the two shinobi walked in the room...well one of them did...

"Baa-chan, is it true? You have a new mission for me?" Naruto asked excitedly.

Tsunade clears her throat, getting ready to say something but Naruto cuts her off.

"Baa-chan, what's wrong? You're not about to croak on me, are you?" He teased her, knowing that calling her that would definitely upset her.

The vein on her left temple began to pulsate, "Shut up, brat!" Tsunade yelled in irritation.

Out of nowhere, someone chuckles. It's seems they're not the only ones in the room. Naruto looks around the room and pulls out a kunai knife, "Who are you?" he asked, being cautious of his surroundings.

The person's chuckles turns to giggles and now even Sakura was beginning to get a little freaked out by all this. Naruto was getting irritated by this person's laughter and his patience was running short. Then again, he never was the patient type to begin with. Naruto turn his attention to a figure sitting in a chair with their legs crossed. He couldn't see whoever it was, on account that they were sitting in the darkest place in the room. Wait a minute...could that be Sasuke?

"Put the kunai away, usuratonkachi..." the voice teased, "I'm not gonna hurt you..."

_'Usura...ton...kachi?'_ Sasuke was the only one who called him that...How did this person know about that nickname? He hasn't heard that name in so long and in a sense, he kinda miss being called that, even though he hated it.

For the past four months, Naruto's been thinking more and more about Sasuke to the point that he is always on his mind, no matter what he was doing. Some nights, he would go to the old training grounds and punch on tree countless times to vent out some of the suppressed feelings he had for the raven. But Naruto knows for a fact that him and Sasuke can never be together in that way and because of that, it was beginning to take a toll on his heart.

"Before you guys get your hopes up so high off the ground, that is not Sasuke." Tsunade answered.

Oh, well. So much for their thoughts, which was quickly shattered to pieces. If that's not Sasuke, then who was the person sitting in that chair?

"Why don't you introduce yourself?" Tsunade announce to the dark figure. Clearly this person was enjoying making Naruto so...uneasy. This person could do this all day if they wanted to but Tsunade was growing impatient.

"All right." The figure stood up and started to walk towards Naruto and Sakura. The two shinobi didn't know anything about this person, where they were from, or how they are for that matter and they had to be extremely cautious. There was no need for unnecessary bloodshed in the office. When this person finally came into view, the figure was revealed to be a young girl. No older than 15 or 16. Naruto and Sakura was a bit...shocked by her appearance. Since Naruto and Sakura wasn't going to say anything anytime soon, she thought it would best to say who she was and get it over with.

"My name is Nariko. Nice to meet you." She said in a calm manner, compared to how she was earlier. She bows to them, showing respect to her future dad and godmother before placing a hand on her hip. Naruto and Sakura studied her for a little bit and took in her appearance. Nariko has blackish-bluish hair, which is a little unkempt in the back that falls to her waist with fair skin and matching onyx eyes. She was wearing a dark blue, one piece dress with a dark red belt and matching straps around the short sleeves, fishnets on her forearms covered with black wrist warmers, and white bandages around her legs just below her knees with black shinobi sandals. To further compliment her outfit, she also wears two red hairpins on the left side of her head and a simple crystal necklace that is similar to a Yin symbol.

"Oh, my..." Sakura manage to say, trying to hold back a faint blush. _'She's...she's beautiful...'_

**_INNER SAKURA _**

_**'HUH? What the hell are you thinking? She's a girl for crying out loud!'**_

Tsunade glances over at Naruto, who was looking like he had just seen a ghost and his eyes widen in fear and confusion. For once, Naruto was left speechless and he had nothing to say. Was there something wrong with this girl?

"Now what's wrong?" Tsunade questioned, knowing that any minute now he's going to blow a gasket.

Naruto points a shaky finger at the midnight blue raven, "She...she...she looks like Sasuke!" he finally blurts out.

Nariko blinks twice, _'So I look like my future father! So what? Was it really necessary to point out the obvious like that?'_ she brushes off her thoughts and goes back to the task at hand.

"Who is this...Sasuke person?" she mused and she smirks at Naruto.

Naruto's eyes widen even further if that was even possible. Nariko was smirking at him the exact same way that Sasuke would. The resemblance was there all right. No question about it.

Tsunade massaged her temples, "Calm down, Naruto." she shrugs, not wanting to hear him complain. She needed to shut him up quickly. Naruto was starting to get on her nerves.

"Naruto, don't you want to hear about you mission?" Sakura remind him. "Or are just gonna stare at the poor girl all day with that face?"

That's right. He forgot all about it. Naruto's mind went completely blank the minute he saw Nariko. She looks just like Sasuke. Why did this girl look like him anyway?

Tsunade sighs and takes a sip of sake from her cup before continuing. "Here is your mission. You and Sakura will be Nariko's escorts and show her around the village. And make sure she is comfortable here as well."

"What?" Naruto bellowed, not liking that idea at all. He wanted to do more exciting mission, not be an escort. He has done a escort mission like that since his genin days.

_'I knew this was coming...'_ Sakura thought shaking her head. _'If a mission was too simple, he always has the tendency to complain about it!'_

"Don't you 'what' me, Naruto! I finally give you a mission and this is the thanks I get?" Tsunade asked getting angry while gripping her sake cup to the point of breaking it.

"But, I-"

"No buts! You are going to do this mission or you're NOT going to participate in the Jonin Exams! Is that anywhere unclear?" Tsunade threatened.

Naruto was finally able to become a chunin when he was 17 and he was now able to sign up to the Jonin Exams. He was not gonna have that chance taken away. You can take his ramen away but you...wait, no, you can't take that away either. He'll be in even worst shape if you took his sacred food away from him. Hell, he'll murder someone over ramen.

"All right. All right Jeez..." Naruto sneered. "No need to be so abrasive..."

Sakura brings her attention back to Nariko. "Is there anywhere you would like to go, Nariko-chan?"

"Hn...Well, I am a little hungry. Is there a place that serves miso-pork ramen?" Nariko asked.

_'Uh-oh! Did she have to say...ramen?'_ Sakura thought.

Naruto's eyes brighten whenever he heard ramen or someone speaking so highly about it. After all, it is his favorite food.

"I know of a place and a great one at that! Come on!" Naruto picks up Nariko, causing her to blush a little bit from the sudden action and they both jump out the window and into the streets of Konohagakure.

"Naruto!" Sakura called out but she sighs in defeat, since they were long gone. _'Jeez...'_

"Excuse me, Master..." She gives a quick bow to Tsunade before she hurries out the door to follow to two to the Ichiraku Ramen Shop...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**Encounter**

A kunoichi is being chased and a shinobi rescues her. The two of them meet and sparks fly...


	4. Chapter 2: Encounter

**Hi everyone! Sorry I took so long to update! **

**I wanted to thank those who added this story to their favorites(Orange-Tamaki, Wander of Souls and Light, and KyuubiChild 717) and to my very first reviewer(Orange-Tamaki). Here's the second chapter!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 2**

Encounter

"Come back here, you little brat!" yelled the angry thug leader.

A young girl was running down the empty streets of the village she had just arrived in. She hasn't been there for no more than 30 minutes ago and she was now getting chased by five men.

"You won't get away!" the second thug bellowed.

She shifts from running and jumps from building to building to shake them off her trail. 'God! How on earth did I let myself get into this mess?' the girl asked herself catching her breath.

She soon realize that she has to find a place to hide and rest before those men find her. The girl quickly scans the village for an empty alleyway and she grins happily when she finds a spot. She jumps downs to that spot and accidentally lands wrong on her right foot, causing her to sprain her ankle, She winces at the sudden sensation of pain in her leg and cursed herself for being so clumsy. She crawled over to a nearby building and lean her body, resting her head against it.

_'I...I wasn't expecting this to happen when I got here...'_ She admits and she begins to remember how all of this started in the first place...**_REALLY_**_ pushing her with the constant name calling. _

_~*~**30 minutes ago**~*~_

_Near the entrance to a village, a black hole forms on the ground and a young girl jumps from out of it, being stealthy with her movements. She has blonde hair that is a little unkempt in the back that falls to her waist with a black hair pin on each side of her head and ocean blue eyes. She is wearing a long-sleeve, orange jacket with black trimming along the zipper and the helm, black trousers, and casual shinobi sandals. She is also wearing fishnet gloves._

_"Well, here I am. Thank god I made it here in one piece." Miyuki said to herself. "Now that I'm here, I've got to find my father...He's got to be around here somewhere."_

_She looks around the village and the first thing she notice was the long, wide bridge behind her that connected two villages. By recognizing that bridge, She figures out that she was in the Land of Waves._

_"Hey cutie." A man called out to her._

_Miyuki turns to her left quickly and saw the person who called her that name(She hates that name with a passion). The man looked like he was in his forties and he smelled like beer and liquor. Just the sight of this man alone was making Miyuki sick to her stomach and what made matters worse was that she could smell the alcohol on his breath._

_"Hey, you're so cute. You wanna hang out with me for a while, cutie?" He asked in a slurred tone._

_This man was **really** pushing her with the constant name calling. She didn't have time for this crap right now._

_"Sorry, I'm not interested." She answers in a cool yet emotionless tone._

_This man was not gonna take no for an answer and he roughly grabs Miyuki by her arms, turning her around so that she was facing him._

_"What are you doing?" Miyuki struggled trying to break free from the man's grasp._

_The man pulls her closer to him and slowly leans in, trying to close the gap between them. Miyuki's eyes widen in horror on what this man was about to do. This man was going to kiss her! She hasn't had her first kiss yet and there was no way in hell that she wasn't gonna have some fat, smelly, drunken, ugly bastard take her first kiss away. What would she do in a situation like this?_

_"Back off!" Miyuki growls before she steps on the man's foot and punches him in the face with all the strength she could muster. Her attack had an effect on him but it also had an effect on her too, because she was now clutching her hand from the impact of his jaw._

_"That's quite the punch you got, little girl..." The man rubs his swollen jawbone which was now turning red. "Now, you're gonna get it."_

_Miyuki backs away slowly and not having any other choice at the moment, she runs away with the man she assaulted chasing her and soon, four other men were soon running after her..._

Miyuki chuckles slightly at her own stupidity, knowing that it was all her fault to begin with. She couldn't help that she was eye-candy for guys...and girls for that matter. She blamed her parents for being so damn good-looking and inheriting their looks and mannerisms but she didn't complain though.

"Nariko, I hope you're having better luck than I am right now..." Miyuki whispers and she pulls out her necklace that was hidden underneath her jacket. It was a simple crystal necklace that is similar to a Yang symbol.

Miyuki worries about Nariko so much to the point that it's ridiculous. She knows that Nariko can take care of herself but she can be reckless, emotional, and let her personal feelings get the best of her sometimes, which worries her even more.

"Gotcha!" a voice yelled.

Just then, the five men that had chased her earlier had surrounded her in the small alleyway, where she had hidden herself from them.

Miyuki manages to stand up despite how messed up her ankle was. "Great...it's the fat bastard and his side orders..." She joked out loud knowing this was not the time for it.

The leader of the gang steps through his posse, "What you say? You're gonna pay for that..." he quickly grabs the collar of her shirt, causing her feet to be lifted off the ground.

"Let me go!" Miyuki threaten and she spits in his face.

"You little bitch!" The man throws her into the hard concrete ground and he started unbuckling his pants.

_'Oh no...I can't use **that** power...not on guys like these...but if I don't, these guys will show no mercy and rape me!'_ She thought.

The man was about to touch one of her creamy, slender thighs until...

"What the hell is going on over there?" yelled an angered voice.

Miyuki and everyone else turn around quickly to see someone hiding in the shadows. Miyuki tried to make out who it was but the only thing she was able to see was a huge weapon that the person was carrying. The person walked towards them and it turns to be a young man. He has short, white hair with a light-blue tint to it, purple eyes, and wears a matching purple sleeveless shirt with gray pants. His teeth are sharp like a shark and the weapon he had was a giant sword and he was also wearing a black cloak with red clouds. Miyuki had a feeling who this guy was but she wasn't entirely sure.

_'Who is that guy?'_ Miyuki thought before she blushed slightly.

"Who the hell are you?" one thug asked.

"I'll be the one asking the damn questions around here. Who are you to pick on young girls?" He questioned. He was not pleased with the display he saw and clearly pissed off about it.

"This is none of your damn business! Get the hell out of here before you get hurt." another one threaten.

"Someone's getting hurt but it's not gonna be me." the young man snapped and pulls out his weapon, the Decapitating Carving Knife.

Miyuki stares with wide eyes at the person who was going to save her. Now she really wanted to know who this guy was. Without a warning of any kind, He throws his sword towards the men, missing all of them before cycling back to him. He catches it with great ease but nothing has happened. The leader laughed to himself as he felt victorious.

"Is that the best you've got?" He asked.

The young man smirks deviously and three seconds later, the man doubles over on his face and he enters unconsciousness.

The other men looked at the young man shaking in fear. "Anybody else want to get hurt?" the young man questioned.

The others scream in horror before grabbing their boss and running off, begging him to spare their lives.

_'Wow...'_ Miyuki thought. _'He's so cool...'_

"Are you okay?" the young man asked in concern breaking Miyuki out of her trance.

"I'm fine." She answers briefly while dusting herself off.

"My name is Suigetsu. Normally I don't this...but I can't stand when thugs pick on young girls...What's your name?" He asked clearing taking in Miyuki's beauty. _'Damn...She is really cute...'_

"My name is Miyuki. Thank you for saving me. You didn't have to, though." She answers nervously before tripping over her bruised ankle.

"Whoa...are you all right?" Miyuki cringes in pain and Suigetsu notices her bruised ankle. "You hurt your ankle pretty badly."

Miyuki forced a smile. "Don't worry about me, Suigetsu-kun. I'm all right. See?" She tries to walk but then she falls on top of Suigetsu.

_'You idiot, you are _**_not_**_ all right...'_ Rubbing her head, Miyuki lifts her head from off his chest and she looks up at Suigetsu and the two of them blush profusely at the position they were in. Their legs were entwined with each other and how Miyuki was positioned, you would think she was crawling to him like a black cat reading to strike.

"Uhhh...Are you okay?" Suigetsu has never met a pretty girl like Miyuki before and doesn't know how to react to these kinds of things. He doesn't count his teammate, Karin because to him, she's just an annoying bitch.

Miyuki snaps out of her trance once again and quickly scoots off of Suigetsu. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Suigetsu-kun!" she apologized. "I'm fine..."

Suigetsu chuckles. _'Yes, you are...'_

_'Okay, this situation is beyond awkward. Why am I blushing so much around him?'_ Miyuki thought.

"One of my comrades can heal your ankle with her chakra. I'll take you back with me so she can help you get better." Suigetsu offered changing the subject quickly.

_'Go...with Suigetsu-kun?'_ Miyuki tried to cover her blush but she was failing at that miserably. "No! No! No! There's no need for that. I've already caused you so much trouble." She said in concern.

"This is not up for negotiation. You're coming with me and that's that." Suigetsu huffed and forcefully picks Miyuki up bridal style.

Miyuki was never held like this before and she couldn't let Suigetsu know that she's actually liking this right now, "Hn...all right." she said in defeat, hoping in some strange way, she would run into her father.

_'Hn? Strange...She says the same thing like Sasuke...who is this girl?'_ Suigetsu questioned.

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**Mysterious Necklace**

A question brings up unpleasant memories and accidentally leaks out a piece of Nariko's past...


	5. Chapter 3: Mysterious Necklace

**Hi everyone! Double update! **

**I wanted to thank my second reviewer(Wander of Souls and Light)for the review and the assorted chocolates! LOL! Thank you! It meant alot to me.**

**Here's chapter 3!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 3**

Mysterious Necklace

Naruto and Nariko both enter the Ichiraku Ramen Shop and sat down so they can take their orders. Old man Teuchi and his daughter Ayame was just opening up for the day.

"Good morning, old man." Naruto greeted.

_'Old man? That's just...rude.'_ Nariko thought.

"Oh! Good morning, Naruto!" Teuchi greets back and he notices Nariko sitting next to him. "Who is this charming young lady?"

"This is Nariko. She just arrived here today. I'm responsible for showing her around the village. It's an escort mission." Naruto explained. Even though he still hated the idea of this mission, he was happy nonetheless to have one.

"Oh, okay! Nice to meet you, Nariko-chan! Since you two are my first customers, your ramen is free!" Teuchi said.

"Really? Thanks old man! You're the best!"

"All right, Naruto-kun! What would you like to have?" Ayame followed as she dries her hands with a clean white towel. She seems just as bright and sweet as ever.

Naruto contemplates on what to eat and he finally decides on what he wants. "I'll have the-"

"Two super miso-pork ramen...with extra pork." Nariko answers and Naruto raises an eyebrow at her.

_'How does she know what I was gonna order?'_ Nariko just smiles innocently at him and Naruto confirms the orders. "Ummm...yeah! That's what I want...and what she wants too, Ayame-chan!"

"Okay! Be right back!" Ayame said and she went to fix the orders.

Naruto had to know more about Nariko but it was still strange how she knew what he wanted to eat. He wants to be friends with her so decided to break the ice with some small talk.

"I want to know everything about you, Nariko."

"Everything?" Nariko questioned. "Like what?"

"Everything! You know, favorite color, hobbies, etc. Those kind of things. Like for example, how old are you?"

_'Are you serious, Naruto? What is this? Kindergarten?'_ Nariko ignores her own thoughts and answers his question. "I'm 16."

"Oh! You're a year younger than me. Okay...Um...what's your favorite color?"

"Blue and black with a touch of red." she answered proudly.

_'Blue, black and red, huh?'_ Naruto notices the colors of her clothing and realization hits him at full force. _'Of course! She's wearing her favorite colors and those are Sasuke's favorite colors too...Doesn't she like any other colors?'_

Nariko suddenly glares at Naruto with resentment, "You have a problem with my favorite colors?" she asked with anger.

Naruto jumps from Nariko's sudden change in tone. This catches him completely off guard. "Umm...no! There's nothing wrong with blue and black...or red." he answered nervously.

_'What the hell? How did she...but I didn't even...say anything.'_ Naruto thought.

"Of course you didn't say anything, Naruto." Nariko answers and she smirks at him again.

_'There it is again. Can this girl read minds or something?'_ He thought.

Nariko smiles. "To answer your question, yes, I can read minds."

Naruto blinks twice but then he grins happily. "WHOA! That's so cool! What am I thinking of right now?"

"Hmm..." The only thing that she could hear in Naruto's mind were the sounds of crickets chirping. No one was home in there at the moment. "...absolutely nothing." Nariko answers casually and Naruto falls over out of his chair.

Nariko couldn't help but laugh from Naruto's actions. _'My dad is such an idiot.'_

"Well, that sounds about right." a voice joked from outside.

Naruto and Nariko notice that it was Sakura and Sai coming in from behind the shop. The two stepped outside to greet them.

"Sakura-chan, what took you so long?" Naruto asked complete ignoring Sai's presence. "I've been waiting for you!"

"Well, hello to you too, Naruto-kun." Sai interrupted.

"Oh! Sorry, Sai." Naruto apologized and turn his attention to Nariko. "This is Nariko. Nariko, this is Sai." Naruto introduced.

Sai looks at Nariko and offers his hand. "Nice to meet you, Nariko." he replies in a respectful manner.

Nariko smiles at him, "Nice to meet you too, Sai-kun." and she shakes his hand with a firm grip.

_'She is really cute. Although it's a shame she has to favor that jackass, Sasuke...'_ Sai thought bitterly.

The smile quickly faded away and turns into a glare from Sai's thoughts. Nariko slowly lets go of his hand and knowing what he said in his mind, she punches him in his jaw...hard. The gesture went from pleasant to ugly in 5 seconds flat.

Sakura notices this quickly and runs to Sai's side. "Whoa...Nariko-chan, what did you do that for?" she asked, clearly upset about what just happened.

"Yeah, I didn't do anything." Sai said.

"Liar! You insulted me!" Nariko snapped.

_'Huh? I insulted her? I didn't say anything...'_ Sai thought.

Naruto chuckles, "Did I forget to mention that she can read minds?" he chimed in.

_'Wow, Naruto. That's real helpful. To tell him that after he gets hit. You really need to work on your timing of warning people...'_

"So, you can read minds, huh?" Sai rubs his face and gives Nariko a fake smile.

Nariko was even more insulted and she cracks her knuckles to emphasize her point. "Jackass!" She growled.

_'What the hell, Sai!'_ Naruto looks down at him at he continues to use that fake smile to ease his way out of this situation. He almost felt sorry him. _'What did you think about that made her want to do that?'_

"Naruto, let's just say the next time he thinks about something like that, he won't get off so easily." Nariko threatens. "That's a promise."

Naruto was gonna have to get use to that power that Nariko has otherwise it would scare him every time.

Sakura shakes her head and massages her temples. _'He meets someone new and in five seconds, he gets clobbered. Jesus Christ, Sai...You need to be more sensitive.'_

"I couldn't agree with you more, Sakura-chan!" Nariko said subconsciously.

Sakura gasp knowing that Nariko read her thoughts. "She really can read minds!" she exclaimed while helping Sai stand up.

Really, Sakura? Wow.

After everything was settled, Ayame had soon brought the bowls of ramen for Naruto and Nariko and gang sat down on the stools to enjoy their meals. Sai and Sakura ordered their food as they sat down as well. Sai next to Sakura in order to avoid getting hit again by Nariko. She packed quite the punch for a young girl.

Naruto grabs a pair of chopsticks. "Man, this looks good! Time to chow down!" and start woofing down on his ramen. Sakura, Sai, and Nariko had sweat drops on the back of their heads.

"That's a pretty necklace. Where did you get it from?" Sakura asked after noticing the silver rope and pendant that rested on her...developed chest. Her chest wasn't really big but they were quite noticeable. Nariko noticed how Sakura was staring at her chest with both envy and admiration and she blushed a cute shade of pink.

_'Why is she staring at my chest so hard? And why am I embarrassed? It's just Sakura-sensei as a kid.'_ She thought.

"What's wrong?" Nariko asked.

"Your...chest." Sakura said with a blank expression.

"What about my chest?" Nariko asked like this wasn't that big a deal. "You like what you see?" she teased, knowing that it will frustrate Sakura from her earlier observation.

"That is so unfair." Sakura said ignoring Nariko's joke and looking down at her own chest. "Your chest is bigger than mine...yet you seem younger than me." Sakura sighed sadly.

"My body started to developed at the age of 13. After eight months, I ended up having a full figure." Nariko explained. "I blame the ramen. I ate it for 4 years straight." Nariko said embarrassed.

Nariko was your average girl but her body was thicker than most. Just by observing her, Sakura figures that she is about a size 14.

"I wish I had your body and your chest..." Sakura wished and hugs herself.

_'Hmph! After eight years, you won't be saying that.'_ Nariko thought and she start to giggle from her own thoughts.

Naruto looks over at Nariko while Sai...is still rubbing his face in pain. Yes, his bruise still hurt.

"What's so funny, Nariko?" asked Naruto.

"Oh, nothing! I thought something funny, that's all." She assured.

"Nariko, you never answered my question." Sakura said.

"Oh, right. What's up?"

"Where did you get the necklace?" Sakura asked again.

"My father gave it to me as a present." Nariko answered.

"That's so sweet of him. Your father seem like a nice person." Naruto asked.

"Yeah, he was..." she answers silently.

"He...was?" Sakura questioned curiously.

_'Damn it...!'_ She cursed herself silently for slipping up so easily.

Nariko plays with her chopsticks, not straying her eyes away from them to look at Sai, Sakura, and Naruto. Nariko's eyes soon filled with sorrow and pain not even realizing that the chopsticks slipped from her hands. Naruto easily recognized the look she was giving the members of Team Kakashi and had a feeling why she became so sad.

Sai pressed on about the subject. "Nariko-san?"

"He's...he's dead." She said plainly without a hint of emotion in her voice.

Sakura gasps, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to-" she tried to apologize.

Nariko shakes her head, "It's all right. Really it is..." she assured them but Naruto was having doubts about her answer.

Something was not right. Was this girl really okay with not having a parent in her life?

"Nariko, I hope you you don't mind me asking this but what about your mother?" Sai asked.

"I don't have a mother." Nariko answers again with no emotion.

The members of Team 7 grew even more silent. Was she serious? Was both of her parents...

_'My god...she doesn't have any parents...or any other family members?'_ Naruto thought.

"To answer your string of thoughts Naruto, I do have a younger sister."

Naruto forgot just that quick that Nariko can read minds but he was happy to know that she still has family members. "Well, what's her name?" he asked.

"Her name is Miyuki."

"What does she look like?" Sai asked.

"Why? So you can insult her, too?" She glared at him, remembering what he had thought about her earlier and Sai winced.

"I'm pretty curious what she looks like myself." answered Sakura, trying to calm her down.

"Well she's a little shorter me, has cerulean blue eyes, her hair is similar to mine but her hair is blonde and has a more tame look." Nariko explained.

"Where is she now?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know...That's another why reason I came to Konohagakure..." Nariko's voice trailed off...

"So...you're here because..." Sakura started.

"I need your help to find my sister...She must be worried sick about me." Nariko answered.

"What happened before you got here?" Sai managed to ask without insulting her anymore than he already did.

"Me and Miyuki somehow got...separated and we loss all contact with each other." She lied. Nariko didn't want to give them the real reason why she and her sister was here. Not just yet.

"How awful..." Sakura responded sadly.

"Naruto, I was wondering...would you...help me find my sister? I know I'm asking a lot but-"

Naruto smiled at her and he responds, "Say no more. I will help you."

Nariko's eyes widen with hope."Y-You will?"

"You will?" Sakura and Sai questioned but in a different tone.

"Yes. I will help her find her sister." Naruto said again.

"Naruto, you can't just up and say you'll help her without knowing where she is or without the Hokage's permission." Sakura pointed out.

"Sakura-chan, we can just ask baa-chan if we could help Nariko find her sister." Naruto said back.

"But aren't you two on a mission right now? You're suppose to show Nariko around the village." Sai reminded them.

"He's right, Naruto...we can't just abandoned the mission." Sakura exclaimed.

"Or we can ask baa-chan if helping Nariko find her sister can be a part of the mission that we're doing right now. Nariko is our responsibility, right? The least we can do is continue to help the best way we can. Think about it. Doing this will be killing two birds with one stone." Naruto suggested.

"Actually, that's not a bad idea. Since when you start using his head? You never did before. You usually fly off the handle so easily when you don't get your way and end up paying for it later." Sakura said.

Naruto is offended by the comment. "Sakura-chan, that's cruel..."

Sakura couldn't help but smile as Naruto. He was actually being mature, rational, and calm about the situation, which impressed her and Sai. Ayame returns with their orders and they happily accept them as they each grab a pair of chopsticks.

"Don't worry, Nariko...I never go back on my word...that's my way of the ninja." Naruto grinned.

A small smile of hope form on her face from his words. "Thank you, Naruto, Sakura-chan, Sai-kun..."

"But before that, I have to introduce you to some more friends!" Naruto said excitedly.

"You have...more friends?" Nariko questioned.

"I sure do! You'll love them!"

_'I hope they're not like Sai-kun...he need to work on his people skills or he's gonna get himself killed around here...'_ Nariko shrugged.

"First thing tomorrow, we'll meet more people and ask baa-chan about looking for your sister." Naruto declared.

Everyone nods in agreement and finish up on their meals.

_'Miyuki, I hope you're okay...'_ Nariko thought as she continued to eat her bowl of ramen.

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**Face to Face**

Under convenient circumstances, Miyuki finally meets the person she was searching for...Sasuke Uchiha...


	6. Chapter 4: Face to Face

**Hi everyone! **

**Here is chapter 4! Enjoy!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 4**

Face to Face

Walking through the empty streets in the Land of Waves, Suigetsu was carrying Miyuki in his arms, who was now wearing his Akatsuki Cloak. Before they started their journey back to the hotel that Taka was staying at for the time being, Suigetsu had lend her his cloak to keep her warm, since she was shivering from the cold breeze from the water of the village.

Miyuki looks up at Suigetsu and for some reason, she feels safe around Suigetsu and that she can trust him. Just by looking into his lavender eyes, she can tell that he won't let anything happen to her and she nuzzles her head in his chest. Suigetsu couldn't help but show a faint blush around her as he continues to walk them back home in silence...

* * *

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the hotel. Suigetsu manages to take off his and her sandals without messing with her already bruised ankle.

Suigetsu walks into the living room, "Karin, Jugo, I'm back." he called out but only a young man with spiky orange hair and eyes was sitting on the couch.

"Welcome back." The man said, not straying his eyes away from his book. Then, he notices Miyuki in Suigetsu's arms. "Who's she?"

"This is Miyuki. I've saved her from a bunch of bandits. She hurt her ankle and I brought her back here so Karin can heal her." Suigetsu explained.

"Oh, I see." Jugo said standing up from the couch and making his way over to say hello. "Nice to meet you, Miyuki-san."

Miyuki looks up at the tall man, "Nice to meet you, too." she said with a smile.

"What's with all the noise in here?" a voice erupted from the kitchen and a girl with red hair and eyes was walking into the living room only to see Suigetsu still holding Miyuki in his arms. "Who's this girl?" she asked.

Miyuki figure that she should introduce herself this time, "My name is Miyuki. Nice to meet you."

"Karin, Miyuki here hurt her ankle pretty badly. Can you heal her?" Suigetsu said. It was more like a statement rather than a question.

"You know, he's not gonna be happy that you brought an uninvited guest here." Karin sighs knowing that he wasn't gonna take no for an answer. She rolls up a sleeve on her jacket and holds it out in front of Miyuki, "Here, Miyuki. Bite into my arm." she said plainly.

"Huh? Karin-chan, do I have to bite your arm? I don't like cannibalism but are you sure that's okay?" Miyuki questioned.

Suigetsu shakes his head, "Calm down. If you're worried that she's gonna be injured, then don't worry about it. Her chakra will flow into your body and heal your injury in an instant."

"I don't know..."

Karin waves her arm, "It's okay. I'll be fine. At least you were nice enough to ask instead of just saying it." she directed towards Suigetsu.

Suigetsu sighs in frustration, "Whatever...Go ahead, Miyuki."

Miyuki didn't think it was a good idea but if she wanted to complete her mission, she had to get better as soon as possible. "Well, okay..."

Miyuki takes a small grip on Karin's arm and begins to suck gently on the skin and her ankle begins to return to its normal color. After a few minutes, she twists it around in a circle and she is able to move it. She is grateful and she smiles sweetly towards Karin.

"Thank you, Karin-chan. Are you sure that wound will heal?" Miyuki asked in concern and Karin nods letting her know that she's gonna be fine. Suigetsu decides to put Miyuki down.

"Miyuki is very considerate and sweet..." Karin said.

"You're right. She is...unlike you." Suigetsu muttered under his breath.

A nerve was struck and the next thing you know, Suigetsu is getting punched in the face by Karin. "What you say, bastard?"

"Suigetsu-kun!" Miyuki yelled when she saw his head turn into water. Water was being splashed on everything in the room and in every direction. "Karin-chan, what the hell are you doing?"

"Suigetsu, you jerk! You're not getting off the hook this time!" Karin stops her rampage, "Miyuki-chan, this asshole is always insulting and irritating me! I can't take it anymore!"

Miyuki couldn't just keep watching Suigetsu get pounded on by Karin. She had to do something, "Stop it! You're hurting him!" she pleads but Karin ignores her and continues her assault on the water-nin.

Miyuki had no idea that Sasuke's team was so...dysfunctional. Sasuke really had his hands full with these guys. She could tell that Jugo doesn't like seeing those two fight all the time knowing that it gives him and her father a headache. He is scared and he starts to tremble, which did not help the situation at all.

Miyuki felt a chill run down her spine, _'What is this feeling? Blood thirst? Where is it coming from?'_

Something was starting to release itself somewhere in the room but she couldn't sense where it was coming from. It made Miyuki feel so uneasy.

"Kill...I want to kill..." said a dark voice.

Miyuki turns to her right and it's was Jugo but something seems...wrong. There were strange orange and blood red like marks forming on his shoulders and around his left eye. His eyes were turning an unusual color for a human: yellow iridles and black sclera and was soon filled with the unstoppable urge to kill.

"Jugo-san...?" Miyuki said terrified.

Suigetsu and Karin stopped what they were doing long enough to see what was bothering Miyuki so bad. The two hurried over to Jugo and trying to subdue him. His killing impulse was loose and Jugo roared in anger trying to free himself from Karin and Suigetsu's tight grip.

"Jugo-san? Jugo-san, what's wrong with you?" Miyuki questioned taking a step forward and reaches out her hand to him.

"Don't go near him, Miyuki!" Karin warned.

Miyuki retracts her hand back from the dark pink haired kunoichi's warning. "W-Why?" she asked.

"His killing impulse is loose!" Karin strained strengthening her grip on Jugo's torso.

_'Sasuke, you picked a bad time to not be here...'_ Suigetsu thought bitterly. He had his left arm around Jugo's neck, which wasn't not helping much.

"What are we gonna do? Sasuke is not back yet!" Karin yelled out to no one in particular, losing her grip.

Sasuke had went to the market to get some things for Karin to cook for dinner but that was two hours ago! Where the hell is he? Shouldn't he be back by now? This was not looking good for the members of Taka. Sasuke is the only one who could calm Jugo down whenever this happened. His killer impulse hasn't been triggered for a while and the timing for this event was no better. They were in a real pinch. Miyuki knew something was wrong with him and she also knew that she had to try and help him in some kind of way.

"Kill...I must...KILL!" Jugo roared.

He manages to get away from Suigetsu and Karin to make his way towards Miyuki.

"Miyuki-chan!" Karin yelled.

"Shit!" Suigetsu said before running after Jugo with his Decapitating Carving Knife. _'Let me make it...!'_

"**I'M GONNA BEAT YOU TO DEATH!**" Jugo roared.

"Jugo-san, please stop this!" Miyuki begged.

She didn't want to resort to violence but if Jugo didn't stop, she wouldn't have much of a choice. Thinking quickly, she clap her hands together and before Jugo makes any contact with her, she jumps and presses her right palm onto Jugo's forehead.

"**Jugo-san, calm down!**" A strong surge of chakra surges from her palm and into Jugo's body, releasing him from his urge to kill. After a little while, the curse mark slowly recedes back into his body. Miyuki slowly removes her hand from his forehead and Jugo falls on his knees, practically soaked in sweat and terrified. Karin and Suigetsu are stunned by the action that just took place. Miyuki rushed to Jugo's side to make sure he was okay and considering the situation, he's calmed down considerably.

"Thank god...he's okay." Miyuki sighs in relief.

Suigetsu looks down at her with a disappointed glare. "Miyuki, what the hell were you thinking?" he snapped at her.

"I was thinking of trying to help Jugo-san!" Miyuki explained.

"Couldn't you think of a better way to do that?" Suigetsu yelled.

"I had to do something!" Miyuki said in defense.

"You couldn't gotten yourself killed!"

"Hn...!" Miyuki growled but takes a deep breath and she quickly calms down, "Suigetsu, this wasn't up for negotiation and there was no time to think. If one of us didn't do anything, he would of killed all of us." Miyuki retorted back, using his own words against him.

Point well taken. That shut Suigetsu up and Karin gives him a smug look at Miyuki from behind him.

_'What a show-off. I don't like her.'_ she snorted.

Miyuki changes her tone, "But you guys were very brave...especially you, Suigetsu-kun...Thank you." she stands on the tip of her toes and kisses him on his cheek and he blushes slightly.

"Umm I well that's just...You're welcome..." Suigetsu manages to say despite him being flabbergasted.

_'Never mind. I like her now. With Miyuki around, maybe he won't be such an asshole anymore.'_ Karin thought.

**Knock. Knock. Knock.**

"I'll get it." Karin announced as she left the room to go answer the door.

"That must Sasuke." Suigetsu stated snapping out of his gaze.

"Huh?"

"That has to be Sasuke." Suigetsu said again and turns to Jugo. "Jugo, are you all right?"

Jugo groans, "I'll take that as a yes."

Five minutes later, Sasuke and Karin walked in the room. Miyuki's eyes were instantly locked onto Sasuke's. There he was. Sasuke Uchiha, the man she was looking for.

"Who are you?" Sasuke asked trying not to sound rude. Keyword: trying.

_'F-Father?'_ Miyuki's eyes widen.

Sasuke raised an curious eyebrow at the blonde beauty.

"My name is Miyuki, Sasuke-san." she said simply.

_'She knows who I am, yet she doesn't seem frighten by me at all. More importantly...this girl looks a lot like Naruto...why is that?'_ he thought.

Although he would never admit it but he missed his blond dobe terribly. Sasuke has done everything that wanted to do in his life: he killed Itachi, kill Danzo, Madara Uchiha, and left the Akastuki, before killing them as well. Ever since the day he and his friends defeated the Akatsuki, he's become more calm and passive but he hasn't lost that Uchiha attitude and pride. He felt like the hatred within his heart was completely gone yet he didn't feel...complete. What else did he have to live for? Can he live to love a certain blond shinobi? Can he be the one who could ease his pain and suffering? Only time will tell.

Miyuki broke the silence between them, "Umm, Sasuke-san? Are you okay?"

God, this is weird. She was not use to calling her father 'Sasuke-san' and it felt...strange but she couldn't blow her cover for **any** reason.

A smirk appears on Sasuke's face, "You're the one who was able to calm Jugo down, huh?" He questioned.

"Y-Yes." She stuttered. Why is she stuttering? It's just her father as a cute, sexy, seventeen year old. There's no need to stutter. Right?

Miyuki figured that Karin had already told Sasuke about the situation that happened earlier.

This girl quickly intrigued Sasuke, "You are the only one beside myself who was able could calm him down. Interesting...You can stay the night with us...if you want." he offered.

"Thank you for your kindness, Sasuke-san." Miyuki bowed. Was her father always this nice? She highly doubts it.

"No need to be so formal, Miyuki. Just call me Sasuke." Sasuke said as he went into the kitchen to put away the groceries.

_'I don't think I can get use to calling my own father that.'_

Suigetsu turned his attention to Miyuki and he got a full glimpse of her...lower half. He grins wider than usual. _'Miyuki's got a nice body on her...and a nice ass.'_

Karin knows Suigetsu's perverted grin anywhere whenever he sees a cute girl and she elbows him on his side.

"What?" He asked innocently. "What did I do?"

Karin rolled her eyes, "Pervert."

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**Dreams of the Heart**

Naruto reunites with his long-lost friend, Sasuke Uchiha...How long will this reunion last...?


	7. Chapter 5: Dreams Of The Heart

**Hi everyone! I would like thank Orange-Tamaki, Lord Rekhyt, and Wander Of Souls and Light for reading and supporting my story!**

**I had a hard time with this chapter because this is my very first attempt at a lemon. I apologize if it's not good but I gave it my best shot anyway! If there's anyway that I can improve, please let me know in your reviews! Also, I've changed Chapter 5 from _Dominace! Sun and Moon Fantasies_ to _Dreams Of The Heart_! For those who read the chapter preview from Chapter 4, I apologize again for the inconvenience and I will make those changes! **

**This is my longest chapter and I dedicate this chapter to my first three readers: Orange-Tamaki, Wander Of Souls and Light, and Lord Rekhyt! It means alot to me, so thank you!**

**Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!! Here is chapter 5!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 5**

Dreams Of The Heart

Naruto and Nariko(**A\N: hahaha! It rhymed again!**)were in his apartment settling in and getting ready for bed. Night had already fallen and she was very tired from spending the whole day with Naruto, Sakura, and Sai. In some way, Nariko was staying at Naruto's for the time being. Let's see how this happened...

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

* * *

Naruto and Nariko were in the Hokage's office. Apparently Tsunade had summoned them shortly after their time at Ichiraku Ramen. The only thing you could hear was Naruto's screaming and yelling. Nariko had covered her sensitive ears to mute the sound but that didn't help so much. Tsunade just stared blankly at him, annoyed, waiting for him to finish.

_'Did Naruto always scream and shout for no reason? And was he always so loud?!' Nariko thought._

"But I can't let her stay with me!" Naruto yelled.

"And why not?" Tsunade questioned.

"You don't want me there?" Nariko asked clearly feeling unwanted by her own dad.

Great...Leave it to Naruto to be so selfish. Naruto didn't like how Nariko said that, which upset him. Now he really needed to come up with a good excuse.

"It's not that! It just...well..." Naruto's voice trailed off.

"It's just what?" Tsunade inquired.

_'Go ahead and say it, Naruto. We all know the reason why." Nariko huffed in her thoughts._

"She's a girl! I can't have a girl staying at my house!" Naruto answered. He didn't want to go into details about his real reason, although Nariko already knew the reason and she blames his teacher, Jiraiya for that. Her dad could be such a pervert sometimes but her father was no saint either. Even though all this was true, this wasn't up for discussion and Tsunade was not having it.

"I don't mind staying with you, Naruto. Think of me as a roommate. That way we can get to know each other more and who knows, it might even be fun!" Nariko pointed out happily before she smirked.

There it is again. It was that same smirk..."But-" Naruto started.

"She's staying with you and that's final!" Tsunade bellowed.

Naruto was about to say something else but Tsunade cut him off by saying, "Say one more word and I will pummel you into the ground!!!" she threatened. Naruto gulped at her tone of voice. She means business and getting pounded to death by a woman with insane strength was not something he wanted to experience because of the stories he heard from his late teacher.

_'Curse baa-chan and those damn ridiculous threats of hers...' Naruto thought as he turn to the side and started pouting._

Nariko starts to laugh while Tsunade and her dad stopped to look at her.

_'Why is she laughing?' Tsunade thought._

Naruto already knew the answer to that. "It's nothing, baa-chan. She can stay at my house for as long as she needs to." Naruto finally agreed.

"Uh, well...okay, then." Tsunade quickly gave them a look when they were leaving the office.

_'What made Naruto changed his mind? And what the hell was so goddamn funny?!' She thought before drinking her sake from the bottle that Shizune bought her earlier._

* * *

**FLASHBACK ENDS**

* * *

Nariko smile at the memory at her dad's and Tsunade's early squabbles. She has had a long day and she wanted to get some rest although she couldn't help but worry about her sister's safety. Was she okay? Was she able to come across their father on her mission? It was true that Nariko worried about her sister a lot but Miyuki could take care of herself. Miyuki maybe a kind-hearted and gentle person but if she was rubbed the wrong way, she could easily hurt someone if she wanted to. She sometimes wonder if Miyuki was too sweet and kind for her own good?

_'Miyuki, wherever you are, I hope you can find our father...' Nariko thought._

"Nariko. Is everything comfortable enough for you?" Naruto asked.

Nariko return to reality from her own world and answers, "Oh...yes, Naruto. Thank you."

Nariko smiles at her dad's efforts at making small talk with her. Has it been so long that her dad has done this with her? Nariko and her dad used to talk like this so much when she was young. They always talked about their day and little things before he tucks her in her bed, kiss her good night, and leaves her room for the night before attending to...other matters. But nonetheless, she missed that bonding with her dad and a tear threaten to pour out from her pretty blue coal eyes but she held it in. She didn't want Naruto to see her in tears. She didn't even feel Naruto placed a hand on her shoulders.

"If you worried about finding your sister, then don't worry about it. Baa-chan will definitely let me help you. Now let's get some sleep, okay?" Naruto gives her his best smile.

That smile. That smile let her know that everything was going to be all right. A light shade of pink tinted on Nariko's cheeks for some reason. "Okay..."

After taking a shower and putting on her new white pajamas, Nariko slowly gets under the blankets on Naruto's couch and pulls another blanket over her body and she gets comfortable from the warmth from them. It's been a long time since she's felt comfortable anywhere and she felt safe here and she slowly drifted off to sleep.

Meanwhile Naruto settling in his room for the night. He slips off his orange jumpsuit and puts on his pajamas before jumping into his bed to get comfortable.

'Sasuke...I wish you would extinguish that fucking hatred and that goddamn darkness in your heart and come back to Konoha. We all miss you...I miss you...' He thought as tears started to flow freely from his beautiful blue eyes.

It didn't take long before Naruto started to sob in his bed and clutching his white pillow, staining it with the salty liquid. Naruto really did miss that raven-haired bastard of a man. He couldn't help it. He was the first to acknowledge his strength and he became his best friend. The two rivals have had their share of fights and bouts and even then, Naruto had never thought of Sasuke as a rival but as a friend and quite possibly, a potential lover. It was hard for him to even try letting go of all those feelings and didn't even want to for that matter because he loved him more than anything in the world. Naruto then reminded himself again that thinking about that would only cause more pain and heartache and he layed his head down on his other pillow, since the other was wet from his tears.

'I hope Nariko didn't read my thoughts. I would be so embarrassed if she did...' He shakes his head before drifting into a deep slumber.

* * *

The next day, Naruto was watching TV in his apartment while Nariko was out with Sakura and Sai. He only hoped that Sai would keep his thoughts to himself, even though that makes entirely no sense whatsoever. His time of peaceful television watching was interrupted by the sound of his doorbell ringing. He groaned angrily and got up from the sofa with the glass of water he was supposedly drinking.

"It better not be anyone from the Konoha Newspaper..." He sneered. He hated how people would try to get you to buy something, even though you tell them "no" a thousand times. He placed a hand on the knob to open the door so he can curse these people out. He didn't like to do this kind of thing but sometimes you just gotta put your foot down. Naruto was ready to blow a gasket.

"Look, I already told you that I don't want the..."

Naruto never got to finish his sentence. He was too busy gazing at the person standing in front of him in shock that he didn't even notice that his glass slipped through his hand and the clear liquid shattered on the ground. A lean muscular structure that stood 169.0cm, milky pale skin, midnight black hair, and dark coal eyes. He almost had a heart attack when he finally recognized the person standing outside his door with his arms crossed.

_'No way...This can't be happening...!' Naruto thought._

At that moment, Naruto had snapped back into reality.

"S-Sasuke...?!" Naruto whispered shockingly.

Sasuke smirks at Naruto's expression.

"Sasuke, it's really you." Naruto said feeling unsure if this was a dream or an illusion.

"Of course it's me, dobe." He simply answered.

Dobe. Oh, how Naruto missed being called that...even though he hated that name with a passion. He couldn't think about that now.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in here?" Naruto knowing that the village was on high alert for any type of suspicious activity.

"That's easy. I just walked through the gates."

"Walk through the gates?!" Naruto repeated. "How'd you managed to do that?!"

Sasuke explained how Kotetsu and Izumo were asleep on the job and how he just walk on through like a bypasser. I mean he had the look down. He was only wearing his white high collar shirt with no emblem on the back of it and his black pants and sandals he saved when he was with Orochimaru. It was amazing that no one caught Sasuke coming into the village let alone the ANBU not detecting him. Either the ninjas are slacking or Sasuke is really good at infiltration...He's gonna go with the slacking ninjas.

Naruto palms himself on his forehead by Sasuke's story. "Oh, god. Those guys are never on the-"

Not caring what Naruto has to say, Sasuke walks past him, letting himself inside Naruto's apartment. Naruto glared furiously at the raven at his rude behavior.

"Oh, sure! I don't mind! You're welcome to come in!" Naruto shouted sarcastically. "Damn that bastard..." he muttered before walking into his apartment and closing the door behind him.

"I missed the way you called me that." Sasuke said out of the blue which threw Naruto off little bit. He wasn't expecting Sasuke to say something like that. "You haven't changed at all, Naruto. I'm glad for that..." Naruto blushed a cute shade of pink.

"I'm sure there's more to why you are here, Sasuke." Naruto inquired very seriously. Sasuke is a S-rank criminal and a wanted man for that matter. He's not even suppose to even within the village within a 10 mile radius. Sasuke was standing there with his back turned not saying anything to Naruto and this was pissing him off even more. This raised further questions for the blonde and he was going to get answers one way or another.

"Do you think you can just come here, waltz into my house, and say you want to come back?! You got a lot of nerve to come back to mess with my-"

Sasuke swiftly grabbed Naruto's wrist and he snaked his right arm around Naruto's waist as he pulled Naruto's body close to his.

"...feelings." Naruto finished before swallowing hard. His cheeks started to heat up from his body being pressed onto Sasuke's so tightly.

Sasuke takes a deep breath before continuing. "I missed you, Naruto. I came here because I want to come back home and be with Sakura and you...especially you Naruto."

"What do you mean?" Was Naruto's only question.

"I can't take it anymore. I've done everything I wanted to do in my life and I'm still not happy. I can't be happy knowing that you still feel hatred for me. I know I've made some stupid mistakes in my life and I'm regretting every single one of them, but the only thing I don't regret is meeting you...becoming your rival...being friends with you...and falling in love with you..." Sasuke confessed while he dipped Naruto's back a little bit and intertwine his hand into Naruto's and grip it firmly. The blonde was now looking up at the raven, completely overwhelmed by his words.

"Sasuke?" Naruto pleaded. "What are you saying?"

Sasuke gently caressed his whiskered cheek. "Naruto...I love you." he finally said.

Naruto couldn't believe it. Sasuke had just told him he loved him. Naruto had so many doubts about being together with Sasuke and all those doubts were obliterated the moment Sasuke uttered those three special words to him. Naruto can rest easy now knowing that Sasuke feels the same way about him. If there is a time to tell Sasuke the same thing, this would be the best time.

"I love you, too, Sasuke..." Naruto confessed and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck.

Naruto and Sasuke slowly lean in until they were inches away from the other's lips and they pressed their lips together. The feeling was nice, sweet, loving, and innocent. They both thought it would be appropriate to dub this kiss their first...since their actually first was completely by accident. They parted a bit to catch their breaths.

"Let's go into your room..." Sasuke scoops up Naruto in his arms bridal style and started carrying him towards his bedroom. Naruto had his head resting on Sasuke's chest and he can hear his lover's heart racing. He was nervous that's for sure. When they reached the bedroom, Sasuke gently sat Naruto on the bed and took his sandals off. Naruto did the same well so he can be ready for whatever Sasuke throws at him. Naruto was not paying attention when Sasuke crawled on the bed and grabbed Naruto by the waist and embrace him. He takes the ninja headband off Naruto's forehead and places it on the nightstand. Sasuke gives Naruto a soft kiss on his forehead.

Naruto blushed even more. "Sweet..." He managed to breathed out.

"Just like you, Naruto..." Sasuke cooed in Naruto's ear.

Without a second thought, they kissed each other once again but this time, the kiss was more passionate and the two boys start moving their lips in sync with one another in a heated frenzy. Sasuke sucked on Naruto's supple bottom lip, asking for entrance and he was granted access when Naruto opened his mouth slightly, just enough for Sasuke to slip his tongue inside of Naruto's moist and wet cavern. It was a battle of dominance as the tongues tangled in a sinful dance of love and lust, which Sasuke quickly had won but Naruto didn't care. He just wanted to continue to taste Sasuke's sweet essence from his lips and he didn't want to stop no time soon.

Sasuke's thigh wedged between Naruto's and his knee gently massaged his groin, earning a muffled moan from Naruto. They pull away and a shining trail of saliva was connected to their lips and it quickly dissolved before they resumed kissing again. Sasuke continued his ministrations and earned a even louder moan from his kitsune, cheeks becoming more flushed by the second as this wave of pleasure hits him. This was turning Sasuke on no less. Feeling bold, Sasuke starts to unbutton and unzip his pants as well as Naruto's. Without breaking the kiss, Sasuke pulls down Naruto's pants and slowly slide them off his hips, revealing more of the luscious tan skin he loves so much.

Naruto is the one who pulls away this time. "What are you doing, Sasuke?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm trying to arouse you."

Proving his point, Sasuke grabbed a firm globe of Naruto's ass and squeezed it gently before gliding two fingers down Naruto's pants and in between his ass. Naruto's eyes widen in surprise and Sasuke began to tease his opening with his two fingers. Sasuke was loving this, seeing his blonde behaving this way. He wanted to do so much more to him. And he did. He slid a finger inside Naruto's entrance and began pumping him slowly. This was a new feeling to Naruto and he was enjoying it.

Following his instincts, Naruto began to roll his hips in time with Sasuke's pumping. "Mmmm...Ohh...Sasuke...That feels so good..." Then Naruto suddenly hit something inside him that made him cry out in pleasure. "Oh, god..." Sasuke smirked. 'He must of struck his prostate without realizing it.' He thought as Naruto increased his speed. Not wanting to stop the feeling he was giving himself, Naruto pulls his pants down completely and starts rubbing his cock in time with his hips. Sasuke adds another finger into Naruto's tight hole. "Oh...Yes, Sasuke..." He moaned, increasing his speed along with pumping his cock. "Ohhh...Ohhh...S-Sasuke...!!!" He screamed as he came fully inside his pants.

Sasuke's cheeks became flushed from watching Naruto pleasure himself. His cock twitch insides his pants, becoming rock hard.

Sasuke wanted to put something else inside Naruto beside his fingers. He wanted to stretch his blonde kitsune with his hard cock.

Naruto felt something poked his harden-clothed erection. Naruto was no idiot. He knew it was Sasuke's cock and he noticed how Sasuke was staring at him. Naruto stops what he's doing and pulls Sasuke's pants down to reveal his hard cock. Sasuke wondered why Naruto stop and his kitsune slowly pushed him down on the bed. "Naruto, what are you doing?" Sasuke asked. "Isn't it obvious? Now it's my turn to arouse you." Naruto answered before taking Sasuke's cock into his hands. He starts to plant kisses on the head of Sasuke's cock and he licks the slit of it with his tongue. Sasuke shuddered from the contact of Naruto's tongue. "I want to give you pleasure, too." Naruto stated before devouring Sasuke whole into his mouth. He slowly bobbed his head up and down while massaging Sasuke's sac. "Uhh...Naruto...Oh, god...please don't stop..." Sasuke gently grabbed the back of Naruto's head, entangling his hand inside strands of golden locks. "Yes, Naruto...Ohh..." Sasuke cried out, he could no contain himself anymore and Sasuke's essence shot out from his cock and into Naruto's mouth. He was surprised when Naruto licked his swollen lips clean and swallowed it all, not missing a single drop of cum.

Sasuke removed the ramaining clothing off himself and Naruto and tossing to the side somwhere, not caring where it went before returning to the bed. Sasuke layed Naruto on his back and he was now hovering over Naruto, gazing upon his kitsune's beautiful skin and the First Hokage's necklace complimented him even more, wanting to put his cock inside of him. Sasuke places the head of his saliva lubricated cock near Naruto's entrance. Sasuke was ready for this and he could tell that Naruto was ready too. He waited a long time to make love to his blonde and now it was finally happening.

"Are you ready, Naru-chan?" Sasuke asked as he takes a firm grip of Naruto's hips. "Sasuke, before we go any further, I need you to promise me something..." Naruto spoke and Sasuke reached down to caress a whiskered cheek. "What is it, Naru?" Sasuke whispered. "Promise me that you won't leave me again...I can't stand not being near you anymore. I don't want to be alone anymore!" Naruto cried out. Sasuke smirked at his little kitsune for asking such a thing. "I'll never leave you again...I promise." In one swift movement, Sasuke entered Naruto completely and tears started to form in his eyes. Naruto's was scruching his eyes closed, letting out small breaths. God, this felt so good to them like a tidal wave of pleasure just washed over the both of them. Naruto cringes in pain and pleasure of Sasuke being inside of him. It felt wonderful to the senses. "Sasuke...I...I love you..." Naruto panted adjusting to his size. "Yeah, I love you too, Naruto..." he answers silently and kisses Naruto's tears away. "Sasuke, make love to me..." Naruto begged in a husky voice. How was Sasuke Uchiha suppose to say no to that? Especially since Naruto was practically begging him to just drop all morals and pound his tight ass so hard that he could split it open.

Sasuke pulled out slowly to start his pace and he grazed Naruto's prostate on his first thrust. "Oh, yes Sasuke! Right there...ah!" Naruto cried and that only drove Sasuke to quicken the speed of thrusts even more. "Unhh...Sasuke-koi...you're so big...!" Naruto panted. "Naru-chan, you're so tight...!" Sasuke groaned as he continued to thrust into his blonde. Naruto lifted his legs up and wraps them around Sasuke's waist, bringing them closer together. Sasuke gripped Naruto's hips even tighter, stroking Naruto's cock in time with his thrusts. "Oh, Sasuke..." Naruto grabbed the back of Sasuke's neck and pulled him into a heated kiss. The sound of skin rubbing off one another, the sweet scent of sex filling the room, the shouts and cries of lust and pleasure. Oh, it was just too much for them. They were in heaven. No, scratch that. They were in pure estacsy. Naruto and Sasuke were close. They were so close to climaxing.

Naruto dug his nails into Sasuke's back and Sasuke increased his speed even more. "Yes...yes...oh god...!" Naruto groaned every time his prostate was struck. This was so much better than they thought it would be. Sasuke was close to the edge. This felt so good to him. He can feel Naruto's muscles clenching down on his cock. "Shit..." He gritted through his teeth. He slammed even harder into Naruto. "Sasuke-koi...I'm cumming...!" "Me, too...!" Sasuke lean down and and licked the shell Naruto's earlobe and nibbled it. That's all it took for Naruto to be driven over the edge. "SASUKE!!!" He cried and spilled his seed all over his stomach and Sasuke's chest.

The tight heat was too much for the raven and Naruto's muscles tighten around his cock. "NARUTO...!" With three more thrusts, Sasuke came inside Naruto hard, spilling his essence and riding out his orgasm while whispering sweet words into his lover's ear. Sasuke slowly pulls out of Naruto and collapsed on top of Naruto and he embraces him sweetly. After ten minutes of gazing into each other's eyes and resting their sweaty and satisfied bodies, the two teens tell each other 'I love you' once more before interlacing their hands and falling into a deep sleep...

* * *

Naruto bolts straight up soaked in sweat and breathing hard. It was already morning and he now realized that he was in his bed in his room...with soiled boxers. All of that was a dream?! He looks down at himself at disgust for having a dream like that about his raven...wait, what? His raven? Since when did he...never mind. he didn't even care right now...This has been going on long enough. Thinking about Sasuke was one thing but having wet dreams about him?! He has to come to a decision and something had to be done.

"I...I can't do this anymore. I need to find Sasuke as soon as possible and hopefully, my pain and suffering will stop when I bring him back." Naruto concluded.

Naruto soon realized what he was saying and he was more determined than ever.

"I'll just ask baa-chan if that could be apart of the mission also." Naruto said before getting up and going to the bathroom to take a nice, hot, relaxing shower.

Nariko was standing outside his room. Apparently, she was woken up by all the noise he was making and she couldn't go back to sleep afterwards.

_'I feel your pain, Naruto. it's only normal that you think about Sasuke like that. After all, he is the person that you'll soon fall in love with...and the only one you'll ever love...' Nariko thought. standing outside his room._

* * *

* * * **CHAPTER PREVIEW* * ***

"Gaara, is it true?! You're in love with another guy?!" Naruto asked as he place his hands on his shoulders.

"Well-" Gaara started but Temari stops hims before he could say anything else.

"It's complicated." Gaara simply said but that response just made Naruto act even more unstable.

"Don't tell me you're gay...Please don't tell me that!" Naruto begged frantically.

"Naruto." Temari called trying to calm him down.

_Nariko shakes her head. 'You say that now but all that will change when **he** comes back...'_

The First Special Chapter of Changing Fate:

**First Love? Confusion Among The Sand Siblings**

**Please review and comment!!!**


	8. Special Chapter 1

**Hi everybody! Sorry I took SOOO long to update! Please forgive me!**

**I've been so busy with school that couldn't update the story when I wanted to. I won't delay you guys any longer.**

**Here is special chapter 1!**

* * *

**SPECIAL CHAPTER 1:**

First Love? Confusion Among The Sand Siblings

As he promised, Naruto has introduced Nariko to more of his friends. Nariko had met Shikamaru, Ino, and Chouji and she just adored those three. Shikamaru, despite him being so lazy, Nariko admired his strategic style intelligence and he was really cute. She really liked Chouji a lot because to her, he was like a big almond teddy bear to her and found him very adorable. Ino on the other hand just kept going on about how much she looked like Sasuke but other than that, she consider her to be a nice and sweet person. Even though Sakura think differently about her.

Nariko had also met Rock Lee, Neji, and Tenten. Nariko actually like Lee for some reason. She found out that he is very passionate about the things he do and she considers that to be very important. Neji was more of a realist out the three of them and was serious all the time, which is no fun in her book. Maybe she can break him out of that. Tenten was a cool girl in her eyes. Using only ninja tools and weapons in battle? That's kinda how she is in battle...almost. Perhaps Tenten can train with her sometimes.

The only people she hasn't met are: Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari. Hopefully she would meet them soon. It's been 3 ½ months since Nariko arrived here in the past in the Village Hidden in the Leaves and she was enjoying herself. In the future, everything is not as sunny, bright, and beautiful as it is now. She hopes that her and Miyuki can restore the future and make it look just like this...

"You're in love with a girl here, aren't you?" Naruto asked as he nudged Gaara's side in a suggestive way.

A sweat drop formed on the back of Gaara's head. "Umm...no." He answered.

Naruto and Nariko(A/N: Yeah, I know!)had ran across Gaara and Temari near the front gates of the village. The two sand shinobi were delivering something until Naruto notice a love letter in Gaara's hand. It was just a simple white note with a pink heart sticker that sealed it. With that in mind, this is what caused Naruto to think that Gaara is seeing someone here. But this is where things get WAY out of hand.

"Wait a minute! Is it another guy?!" Naruto questioned which made Gaara blushed.

"Naruto, I don't think that's-" Nariko started but she never got to finish the sentence.

"Gaara, it's true, isn't it?! You're in love with another guy?!" Naruto asked as he placed his hands on his shoulders.

"Well-" Gaara started but Temari stops him before he could say anything else.

"It's complicated." Gaara simply said but that response just made Naruto act even more unstable.

"Don't tell you're gay...Please don't tell me that!" Naruto begged frantically.

"Naruto." Temari called trying to calm him down.

_Nariko shakes her head. 'You say that now but you won't be saying that when **he** comes backs.' She thought._

"You have a problem with it?" Gaara defended.

"Umm, no...It's just-"

"Where is Sakura? She was suppose to meet us here." Temari interrupted. Naruto was starting to get on her nerves.

"I'll take it to her!" Naruto declared before taking the letter from Gaara and running down the streets of Konoha.

"Wait, Naruto!" Nariko sighed. "It was nice meeting you two." She bowed before chasing after Naruto.

Gaara tilted his head slightly before he sighed in defeat. "Oh, well. He'll find out the truth sooner or later." He said before he and Temari walked out the gates to leave the village.

"Gaara, was it me or did that girl look like Sasuke?" Temari questioned.

"Come to think of it...you're right." He agreed.

He let the thought linger on his mind as they continue to make their way back home to the Wind Country.

* * *

Sakura was leaving her home to go 'meet' Temari and Gaara at the village gates but instead, she was greeted by Naruto and Nariko.

"Naruto? Nariko? What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Well, Gaara and Temari are here and-"

"I'm well aware of that, Naruto. I was supposed to meet them at the village gates." Sakura said sternly. "What's the matter?"

"Sakura-chan, Gaara is...Gaara is..."

"Gaara is what exactly?" Sakura asked raising an eyebrow.

It may not be something that she wants to hear but Naruto might as well come out and say it.

"He's gay!"

Sakura's eye twitched a little from Naruto's answer. "He's...what?" she inquired, not sure that she heard him right.

_'Here we go...It's going downhill from here...' Nariko thought._

"That's right! He is! He told me that himself! He-" His voice trailed when he noticed Sakura's strange expression. She had her hands covering her mouth, holding in stifled giggles.

"Uh...Sakura-chan, what are you-"

But Naruto was cut off by Sakura's uncontrollable outburst of giggles. Naruto wondered what was so funny about this situation. One of his best friends was gay and he didn't find it funny one bit. Maybe she'll tell him what's so funny when she stops laughing.

"Naruto, Gaara is not gay!" Sakura reassured between laughs and Naruto just stood there looking like a complete fool.

"He-He's not?" He questioned unsure of what she said is true.

"No, silly!" Sakura answered and her giggles soon turned into laughter.

It didn't take long before Nariko started laughing right along with Sakura. This was too good of a moment to pass up by not laughing.

"Nariko!!!" Naruto whined clearly don't the fact that Nariko was now laughing at him.

"Sorry, Naruto. I couldn't resist!" Nariko said in between laughs.

Two girls hold hugged each other to trying to stop laughing but it wasn't helping and made them laugh even more. Naruto rolled his eyes, waiting for the two laughing kunoichi to calm down from their laughter. "Ha! Ha! Ha! Very funny!" He said sarcastically.

"But, seriously. Why do you think Gaara and Temari came here?" Sakura asked wiping the tears away from her eyes.

"Beats me. How should I know!" He answered.

_Nariko lowers her head and shakes her head in shame. 'My dad is a total moron. What did my father ever see in this man?'_

"Because of Shino and Kankuro!" Sakura answered.

"What do those two have to do with this situation?" Naruto asked. He still doesn't understand.

"Oh, for god's sake, Naruto! Look, Kankuro is busy with his missions and Shino has been leaving the village to help Kankuro on these missions. Those two helping each other and seeing each other like that, Isn't it obvious what's going on here?!" Sakura explained.

"What's SO obvious?!" Naruto was now getting mad. He really didn't understand what Sakura was telling him.

Sakura sighs in frustration.

"Sakura-chan, can you please just tell him the truth? This is only going to confuse and irritate him even more." Nariko suggested. Even though it was fun playing with Naruto's head but it was getting boring to her.

"It was supposed to be secret but...okay." She might as well tell him the truth. This wasn't getting them nowhere. "It's because Shino and Kankuro are in love!" Sakura answered hoping that he finally understands. It took Naruto a minute to register what Sakura had just said to him.

3...2...1...

"In love?!?" He blurts out.

_'Finally! He gets it! I hope...' Nariko thought._

"So, it's not Gaara?"

"Nope."

"It's Kankuro." Naruto stated.

"Yep."

Naruto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Oh, okay..."

Kankuro and Shino?! That's the strangest match he ever heard of. But then again, those two are strange in their own ways. Shino likes bugs and Kankuro likes puppets. Both wear the strangest clothes and they are very powerful. They both cover their faces with paint or more clothes. When you put two and two together, I guess it makes sense but all and all...that is still strange.

"And they're in love with each other?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"For the last time, Naruto, YES! How many times are you going to ask that?!" Sakura asked, annoyed by his short attention span and stupidity.

_'This is really really sad. It took all of that...just to explain such a simple situation? Oh, god, help my idiotic dad...' Nariko thought._

"Naruto, what's that in your hand?" Sakura asked noticing the envelope he held in his hand. "Oh! That's the letter they asked me to give to Shino."

Naruto had completely forgot he had it in his hand before taking it away from Gaara earlier. He opens it up and begins to read it:

_To my dearest Shino,_

_It's been a while since we've seen each other and wanted to write you a letter. I know it's not my style but I don't care about that right now. It's gonna be another month before I can see you or feel your touch again but I'm pretty sure you can hold on for me, my little beetle. Words cannot express my feelings I have for you. I hope things are going well for you and I really hope to see you soon. Be strong for me and I love you._

_Your love, _

_Kankuro_

Naruto was speechless by Kankuro's affection towards Shino and was also overwhelmed by how he poured all his love into that letter so profoundly. Judging by the way it's written, it seems that those two have been dating for quite some time now.

"Wow...that's so sweet. Who knew Kankuro could write such beautiful words?" Sakura said surprised.

"You two are going to hell." Nariko cut in rudely. "Why would you read that letter, Naruto?! And I'm surprised at you, Sakura-chan!" She was disappointed in the two shinobi's behavior. In the future, they wouldn't do anything like this. They have A LOT of growing up to do.

Naruto folded the letter back up EXACTLY how it was before he opened it.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" Sakura asked as she wondered why he became so silent all of a sudden.

_'He's thinking about father again...' Nariko guessed and she was right._

Naruto shook his head. "It's nothing...I'm fine. Sakura-chan, do you mind giving this letter to Shino?"

"Huh? But I thought that you were gonna give it to him for Gaara."

"I changed my mind...Suddenly I'm not feeling so good. I'm just gonna go home." Naruto said and he doesn't even say goodbye to the two girls before making his way back to his apartment.

"Naruto..." Sakura whispered worriedly. "Why are you acting this way?"

Sakura is beginning to notice Naruto's strange behavior and it's starting to worry her to no end. Whenever she would ask Naruto was he okay, he would give the same answer every time. She knew when he lied and she also knew that something was seriously bothering him and she was going to find out. Sakura was driven out of her thoughts when she heard Nariko gasped and turned her attention back to her. What she saw was something that she never seen before. Nariko's necklace was glowing a red aura and it was fluctuating wildly.

"Nariko-chan, what's wrong?!" Sakura asked frightened for the young girl's safety. "Why is your necklace doing that?!"

Nariko didn't answer. She just hope for her necklace to stop reacting the way it is.

"Nariko-chan!" She called again before the necklace stopped moving around and slowly falls back on her chest. Nariko turns her back to Sakura and clenched her fist.

"Sakura-chan."

Sakura almost jumped out of her skin from Nariko's tone in her voice. Her voice was VERY cold and felted like it was bathed in ice. Just then, she sounded just like Sasuke.

"Y-Yes?"

"I need to speak with Tsunade-sama."

"About what, Nariko-chan? What's the matter?"

"I can't give you the details right now...but it's very important."

"Well, okay. The Hokage's Mansion is just up ahead. I'm gonna go and give this letter to Shino and I'll come back to the office when I'm done." Sakura said pointing in the direction before running off to do what she said she was going to do.

Waiting until Sakura was no longer in sight, Nariko whispers, "It's time you guys knew...It's time you knew everything..." She grips her necklace tightly, fearing that she might be making a huge mistake.

* * *

* * * **CHAPTER PREVIEW* * ***

"I'm...gonna go back to Konoha." Sasuke finally said.

"What?!" Suigetsu and Juugo yelled in unison.

'His feelings for Naruto are starting to kick in...' Miyuki thought.

Karin giggles. "Oh, that's so sweet."

"Are you sure that's what you want, Sasuke?" Juugo asked.

"Yeah...I'm sure." Sasuke finally answered. "We're leaving tomorrow."

The next chapter of Changing Fate:

**Wake Up Call**

**Please review and comment!!!**


	9. Chapter 6: Wake Up Call

**CHAPTER 6:**

Wake Up Call

Sasuke had decide to have Miyuki stay with them until she found her sister. For 3 ½ months, the group enjoyed exciting days and pleasant evenings, which was good because god knows they don't do that on a daily basis. With Sasuke around, you had to be on point and serious 24/7 and it felt good to just relax and enjoy life for once. Things were going pretty well for Team Hawk. Miyuki helped Juugo control the powers of his Curse Mark through spiritual training, Karin and Miyuki soon became good friends, despite how Karin didn't like her at first, and Suigetsu and Miyuki became closer in a short amount of time. Suigetsu realized that he really cares for Miyuki but she is oblivious to his feelings. Well, maybe not entirely. Miyuki also realized that she's fallen in love with Suigetsu but she'll never be able to tell him how she feels because of her mission. It was painful for Miyuki to not be honest with him and it bothered her. Even with all this going on, she was glad that her father was enjoying himself. Yep. Even Sasuke was enjoying these peaceful times with Miyuki, which made him feel somewhat at peace. That same night she met Suigetsu and the rest of Team Hawk, Miyuki also told them the story about why she here, which was a lie. That was one thing Miyuki hated. She hates lying and not being able to tell Suigetsu and her own father the real reason she was here was slowly hurting her. She didn't want to deceive them anymore than she already did.

Sasuke on the other hand couldn't shake the fact that Miyuki looked like Naruto, the blonde angel that he loved so much. During these 3 ½ months, Sasuke has thought more and more about his blonde love. His smile, that beautiful tan complexion of his, his ocean blue eyes, and more importantly...his body. It became so bad to the point that he was starting to have dreams about Naruto seducing him and having his way with him almost every night, which didn't help Suigetsu and Karin get the rest they needed.

He would turning side to side in his sleep, letting out strange noises that always woke up Suigetsu and Karin from their calm slumber...well almost calm. The two teens were always irritated by the sounds he made while Miyuki and Juugo would always be sound asleep in their rooms. How can anyone sleep through all of that? You would think two animals were in heat from the animalistic moans Sasuke made every night.

The members of Team Hawk knew that Sasuke had a strong...infatuation with Naruto. They knew he loved him but this was ridiculous. And Sasuke wondered why Karin and Suigetsu were more bitchy and arrogant and fought more easily than usual, which Miyuki and Juugo had to break it up every time.

Sasuke knew that but for Naruto, he didn't care. Sasuke would break ever rule known to man just to be with Naruto. He wanted Naruto more than anything but he knew that Naruto likes Sakura and that the two could never be together in that way. This hurt him in the worst way possible but he just wanted to ravish Naruto or Naruto ravish him. He just didn't care anymore. It just didn't matter to him anymore. Sasuke wants to heal and Naruto is the only one who can do that for him. No one else can fill that void but him...It was official. Sasuke was in love with the village idiot. (A\N: Sorry, I just had to say that!)

It was 2:00 in the morning and everyone was asleep...except for Sasuke. He was in his room, lying in his futon, letting the cool breeze from the open slide doors from outside hit his milky pale skin. Sasuke was simply wearing a white t-shirt with dark blue pajama shorts. This was the one time he couldn't go to sleep. Why? Because he was thinking about Naruto...again. Sasuke turned on his left side, trying to get comfortable but found that impossible to do.

'Naruto, In some way, are you thinking about me...? I...I miss you so much...'

A single tear trails its way down the side of his face from his left eye, staining the futon. Sasuke was hurting and he wanted to see Naruto so badly. Sasuke was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even hear when a familiar voiced asked him, "Are you crying over me, you bastard?" which put him on his guard rather quickly.

Sasuke makes a kunai appear from the seal on his right wrist and throws it with precise aim and the intent to kill but the person in the room catches it between his fingers with great ease. Sasuke was surprised that this person was able to catch the kunai blade between his fingers without cutting himself. Hold on a second...This person called him a bastard and he only knows one person that calls him that. But it couldn't be him, could it? There was no way. Team Hawk changes hotels and inns every week, making it near impossible to keep track of them but still...

"What do you want?!" Sasuke asked rudely.

"Now, now, Sasuke. Is that anyway to treat an old friend?" The voice mused.

But before Sasuke had a chance to decipher who it was, the person revealed himself from shadows in his room. Sasuke was indeed surprised to find out who it was.

"N...Naruto?" He managed to say.

"The one and only!" He joked out loud but covered his mouth afterwards for being so loud. Knowing Sasuke, he was going to kill him for even being in his presence.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Sasuke inquired but on the other hand, he was really happy to see him. He couldn't let Naruto know that, though.

Naruto snorted."Idiot! I came to see you! Why else would I be here?!" He explained while setting his blue backpack in the corner where Sasuke's folded clothes were and took off his sandals. Naruto was just wearing his casual clothes: his green shirt with the red swirl on it and his orange pants.

"At 2:15 in the morning?" Sasuke deadpanned.

"It was the only way I could sneak out the village to see you without getting caught." Naruto explained.

"You snuck out...just to see me?" Sasuke asked in disbelief and Naruto gave him a simple nod.

This was too good to be true. Sasuke couldn't believe what Naruto was telling him. Naruto shouldn't even be here with him right now. He could only come up with one explanation for why Naruto was even here in the first place.

"Is this a joke?!"

Sasuke could only imagine what Naruto would do to him now since he was an S-rank criminal. The village wouldn't take any chances whatsoever to have him dead.

"It's not a joke, Sasuke. I really missed you." Naruto complied trying to reason with Sasuke.

Sasuke did NOT want to hear what Naruto had to say. He came to the conclusion that Naruto was going to kill him by the orders from the Hokage and he wasn't going down without a fight.

"GET OUT!!!" Sasuke bellowed and rushed towards Naruto with a kunai in his hand, ready to slit his throat but Naruto simply slapped the kunai out his hand and pinned his arms behind his back with both hands.

"What the?!" Sasuke struggled to free himself but Naruto wasn't letting up at all. "LET GO!!!" Naruto squeezed Sasuke's wrist to make him drop the kunai on the ground and he succeeded. Sasuke realized that Naruto had gotten stronger and gave up for the moment. Feeling defeated, Sasuke slumps to the ground, not looking at anything else in the room.

"I didn't come here to fight." Naruto said loosening his grip on Sasuke's wrist and throwing the kunai knife on the floor. "Sasuke, why do you continue to lie to yourself?"

"What are you talking about?" Was Sasuke's only question not bothering to look at the blonde.

"You must really think I'm stupid." Naruto seethed with anger in his voice. "I know you miss me, Sasuke and you want to come back and make things right."

Sasuke chuckles from Naruto's acusation. "So that's what you're implying, Naruto? That I missed you and want to come home?" He asked said coldly.

"Well, do you?!" Naruto was getting irritated because Sasuke was being an ass and being stupid all at the same time.

Sasuke doesn't answer.

"Answer me!"

Sasuke still doesn't answer.

"You idiot! Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to sneak out of the village?!" Naruto yelled as he knelt down to Sasuke's level and grasped his shoulders. "I missed you so much, Sasuke! Don't you understand what I'm trying to say to you?! I came here because I needed to tell you how I feel! For god's sake, Sasuke, I love you!" Naruto confessed. Sasuke's eyes widen from Naruto's sudden confession. Naruto just told him he loved him and Sasuke never felt so powerless in all his life. He didn't know what to do in this situation now; he just sat there...stunned and helpless.

"SASUKE!!!" Naruto yelled gripping Sasuke's shirt by the collar.

"Shut up." Then, Sasuke suddenly pulled Naruto by the wrist into an embrace and hugged him tightly. "Just shut up!"

Naruto was suddenly baffled by the raven's sudden actions. He could hear the soft yet weeping sobs coming from the raven-haired boy that he loved. Was Sasuke...crying?

"Sasuke?"

"I love you, too..." Sasuke confessed and hugged him even tighter. Sasuke's eyes began to water as he felt Naruto's arms wrap around his waist. "I love you so much that it hurts, Naruto..."

"Shh...You don't have to say anymore..." Naruto whispered rubbing Sasuke's back with soft strokes.

'Did Naruto's voice deepen just now? It must be my imagination...' Sasuke thought.

They remained in each others' arms until Sasuke gently pulled away and wiped away the tears that had somehow shed from his eyes. Naruto caressed his pale cheek, which caused Sasuke to gaze upon his beautiful ocean blue eyes that belonged to him. In the moonlight, Naruto's eyes seem to sparkle like sapphires in the moonlight as a cute shade of pink tinted on Sasuke's cheeks. Sasuke rest his right hand on Naruto's arm and placed his left hand on the back of Naruto's neck, massaging the golden strands in his hair.

"Naruto..." Sasuke whispered as his eyes slowly became half-lidded.

"Sasuke..." Naruto gently brushed Sasuke's hair from his face and cupped his cheek.

Naruto starts to lean in slowly, getting closer and closer to Sasuke's lips. Sasuke slowly closed his eyes as he felt Naruto's body heat. He was gradually getting closer to what he always wanted to do. Naruto pauses for a bit before closing the gap between then with a passionate kiss. Sasuke moaned when he felt Naruto's tongue slip into his mouth, deepening the kiss.

Without breaking it the kiss, Naruto hovers over Sasuke, lying him on his futon and getting on top of him. Naruto spread Sasuke's legs wide enough so he can press his against body against his new lover's body. Sasuke's face was already flush from the close contact but he didn't care about that at all. Sasuke lifted his left leg up a little more and Naruto took this opportunity and lowers his groin on top of Sasuke's, earning moans of pleasure from the two boys...

As if on cue, Suigetsu and Karin poked their head out their room doors, clearly irritated by those horrid sounds once again. The two of them had messy pillow hair and bags under eyes and Miyuki and Juugo were once again sound asleep while this was happening.

"This is the fourth time this happened this week. That Naruto kid must really has him sprung..." Karin said before she yawns.

Just then, Sasuke's moans intensified. "Oh, god...!" he cried from his room.

Suigetsu raised an twitching eyebrow. "Not...this...shit...again..." He drawled out. "I can't take this anymore."

Karin just shakes her head, knowing that worrying about it was not gonna make it stop. "I going back to sleep..." Karin announced and pulled out a pair of earplugs before heading back into her room.

"Karin, do you have another pair of those?" Suigetsu asked but the answer he got was the door slamming.

"Great. I'm the only one who won't get any sleep tonight..." Suigetsu said before dragging himself back into the room and slamming the door behind him.

Back in Sasuke's room, Naruto was now pumping Sasuke's entrance with two of his fingers and planting kisses all over his neck. Naruto had waste no time and striped them of all their clothing, leaving them naked like the day they were born. Sasuke whimpered from the pain and the pleasure that was being given to him and was enjoying every minute of it. Naruto grinned as he leans down and kisses Sasuke briefly before continuing with his ministrations of pleasuring the only person that he loved. Sasuke glances up at Naruto as he felt himself about to come, but Naruto stop pumping his entrance and removed his fingers.

"Naruto..." Sasuke whined missing the pleasuring feeling that Naruto was giving him.

Naruto takes Sasuke's leg and rests it on his shoulder, pulling him close until the tip of his cock was near his lover's entrance.

"Naruto, do you know what you're doing?" Sasuke asked clearly unsure if Naruto really knew what he was doing.

Naruto couldn't help but laugh at his lover's question. "Of course I do, love. If I didn't, we wouldn't be doing this to start with, right?"

Point well taken. Sasuke was worried because he knows that Naruto has a short attention span and wouldn't know what to do. Hell, everyone knew that but...Where did he learn all this stuff from? Maybe...he already...

"Naruto, have you-"

"No, I haven't done it yet, Sasuke. You will be my first..."

Sasuke's eyes widen in surprise. "How did you know what I was about to ask you?" He asked.

Naruto smirked from Sasuke's questioned. "That look of worry gave it away." He joked again.

Sasuke blushed even more from his blonde angel's answer.

"Oh, Sasuke, I waited for this moment for as long as I can remember..." Naruto confessed before he kissed Sasuke gently on his lips once again. "Let me make love to you, Sasuke..."

Without hesitation, Sasuke gives his blonde angel a genuine smile.

Naruto couldn't believe that Sasuke was actually smiling at him. This warmed his heart and it felt really good that he was able to make Sasuke smile. Then, Naruto gripped Sasuke's hip tightly and slowly started pushing forward inside Sasuke's entrance. "Ohhhh...." Sasuke moaned as Naruto's cock began to slowly enter his tight heat which was starting to drive Naruto crazy. He notices that Sasuke's eyes are scrunched close from the pain and he's gripping the futon bed so tightly, so he decides to be funny. "Are you okay, baby?" He breathed out and Sasuke blinked twice from the name he was called. 'Baby?' He thought before he sneered, "Remind me to kill you when this is over." Naruto just grin down at the luscious raven below him as he continue to enter him until he fully sheathed inside Sasuke.

"When I get done with you, you won't have the strength to do anything, my sweet raven..." Naruto cooed in Sasuke's ear before nibbling his earlobe.

He imagined Sasuke to be tight but this was too much. Hell, Naruto couldn't really move at all because Sasuke's intense heat was taking a toll on him...in more ways than one. Sasuke gave Naruto a simple nod letting him know to start moving. Naruto pulled out until the head remained inside and pushed forward once again, this time with more force. Naruto struck Sasuke's sweet spot, making him arch his back in pleasure as his moans intensify once again. Naruto then steadily quicken the pace, which had Sasuke writhing under him.

"Uhn! Oh god, Naru-chan...you hit me so good..." Sasuke panted. Naruto continued to thrust into Sasuke relentlessly, hitting his prostate every time, not missing it even once. Sasuke wouldn't be able to take too much more of this and he was going to reach his limit and explode all over Naruto and himself. "Sasuke-koi...I need you to do something for me..." Naruto asked. "Oh...ah...anything for...oh god...you, Naru-chan...nnh...what is it?" Naruto licked his lips and gazed upon the beautiful sight beneath him. Naruto wanted to stay like this forever and fuck Sasuke senseless but soon he would be over the edge and these moments of bliss will soon be gone. Naruto was terribly close and he wouldn't be able to stand it much longer. He whispers hotly in Sasuke's ear, "I need you to wake up for me...wake up for me, baby." Sasuke gasps at what he saids.

* * *

"Naruto?!" Sasuke shot up from his dream and checked his surroundings and he found nothing but his bag and his clothes folded neatly in a pile but no Naruto. Sasuke sighed in frustration knowing that he had another dream about his beloved blonde...ramming into his ass...again. Not being able to be near Naruto or even hear his voice was driving him up to the road to insanity. Then, which made matters worse, he notice that his pajama pants were sticky and wet. Sasuke placed his hand into his midnight locks to rub away the sweat from his forehead he obtained from his dream.

"Oh, god...I really need...to stop having these dreams about him. It's driving me crazy..." Sasuke then buried his face into his hands. "Naruto, I miss you so much..." he whispered silently trying so hard not to shed any tears because Uchihas don't cry(Well, except when he found out the truth about his brother). From the doorway Karin was silently watching him. She had given up on trying to make Sasuke hers and tried to focus on finding someone who would actually love her. Karin didn't like to see Sasuke like this, broken, lost and doesn't know what to do with himself. Karin thought it was be a good to try and cheer him up. Even if it didn't work and made him even more pissed than he already was, she had to at least try.

Meanwhile, Miyuki, Suigetsu, and Juugo were in the living room doing their own thing. Juugo was still doing his spiritual training that Miyuki taught him in a nearby corner, Suigetsu was sharping his Guillotine Sword, and Miyuki was reading a book on medical ninjutsu. All and all, it was really peaceful until...

"You guys..." Sasuke started. "I've made a decision."

Sasuke's words caught everyone's attention.

"I'm...gonna go back to Konoha." He finally said.

"What?!" Suigetsu yelled out clearly not liking that idea.

'His feelings for Naruto are starting to kick in...' Miyuki thought.

"Don't tell me you're going back because you're sexually frustrated?" Suigetsu deadpanned.

Karin is pissed by Suigetsu's answer and slaps him so hard that water sprays on the left side of the wall. "Shut up, Suigetsu!!!" She growls. "Stop being so selfish!!!"

"Sasuke, what made you come to this decision?" Juugo asked.

"Believe it or not, Karin made me realized that it's time for me to move on, start over, and try to be happy..." Sasuke lets out a disbelieving chuckle.

"I can't believe it, either." Suigetsu said under his breath before getting elbowed in the gut by Karin. "Oww..." he groaned rubbing his stomach.

Karin giggles. "Oh, that's so sweet." She swoons pretending like nothing didn't even happen.

"And disturbing..." Suigetsu sneered rubbing his aching stomach from the last attack.

"I'm sorry, what was that?!" Karin growled again rolling up the sleeve, preparing to hit Suigetsu once more.

"Nevermind." Suigetsu answered. He couldn't take too much more of Karin's attacks and it was starting to take a toll on his body.

"I think it's wonderful that Sasuke feels that strongly about Naruto-san." Juugo said, clearly agreeing with Karin. "To be honest with you, I think he needs to go back to Konoha and try to make things right."

"Eh?! You too, Juugo?" Suigetsu exclaimed. He thought Juugo would be against Sasuke leaving but he thought wrong.

"I agree with Juugo. I don't see what's wrong with it. I can tell that he loves Naruto with all his heart and soul. It's a beautiful feeling to know that someone out there in the whole world is thinking about you and only you. I just wish...I could share something like that with someone..."

"Miyuki..."

As much as she liked Suigetsu, she couldn't possibly fall in love with him...not under these circumstances.

"Are you sure that's what you want, Sasuke?" Juugo asked.

Sasuke had to be sure if he really wanted to go back to Konoha to start over. It wasn't going to be easy

to try get back on the good side of that village. It would take a while but as long as Naruto was with him, he didn't care how long it would take or what punishment that awaited him there once he had returned there. He just wanted to be with Naruto. That's all that mattered to him...

"Yeah...I'm sure." Sasuke finally answered. "We're leaving tomo-"

Sasuke was cut off my Miyuki's sudden scream.

"Oh, no..." Miyuki started. "I didn't think they would follow us here..."

"What the hell?! Miyuki-chan, what's going on with your necklace?!" Karin panicked.

Miyuki's necklace was glowing a blue aura and it was spinning wildly. The members of Team Hawk never seen anything like this before and they were worried about Miyuki. Was something going to happen to her? After a while, the necklace stops spinning and the aura around it disappears.

"Sasuke, we have to leave...now..." Miyuki stated with fear in her voice.

Suigetsu puts his sword on his back. "Leave? Now? Miyuki, what is-"

"Something's wrong, isn't it?" Juugo cut in and Miyuki nodded her head slowly.

Sasuke knew that Juugo was right. Something was wrong in order to scare her like that. But what could it possibly be?

"Well?!" Karin questioned.

"If we don't leave now..." Miyuki grabs the jewel on her necklace and grips it tightly before finally saying "Naruto will die..."

Sasuke's eyes widen in horror from what Miyuki just said. "Naruto is going to die...?!" he whispered.

Then it hit Sasuke right then and there. "Wait, how do you know about-"

"If we leave now, I'll explain everything on the way!" Miyuki said.

The choice was completely up to Sasuke now. Will he stay or will leave now to save the love of his life?

* * *

**CHAPTER PREVIEW**

"Me and my sister Miyuki came here from the future to complete a very important mission. A mission that could possibly save lives from a natural disaster." Nariko explains.

"A natural disaster?!" Naruto and Sakura repeated in shock and disbelief.

"That's right."

"If what you say is true, what is the rank of this mission of yours?" Tsunade inquired.

"It's an...S-rank mission, Tsunade-sama."

The next chapter of Changing Fate:

**Race Against Time**

**Please review and comment!!!**


	10. Chapter 7: Race Against Time

**Hi everyone! **

**Sorry I took so long to update! I've been so busy with school and work! **

**But I think you will enjoy this chapter a lot! Things are gonna gets interesting ^_^! I had fun writing it! And I want to thank those who told me on the last chapter that it's suppose to be an S-rank instead of A-rank. I was typing so fast that I didn't notice. All right! On with the story!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 7:**

Race Against Time

After delivering the letter to Shino, Sakura decides to head back to the Hokage's Mansion to figure out what was going on with Nariko. She could still remember how Nariko's voice sounded just like Sasuke. Cold, dark, and completely emotionless. Because of that, Sakura couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen. She was also worried about Naruto. She went to his apartment to look for him but he wasn't there. That didn't surprised her to say the least. He was never really home that much anymore. It would be really late at night whenever Naruto did return home. She knew that because he would sometimes be sleep deprived some days and sometimes on his missions.

She didn't understand his behavior anymore. Why was he always so gloomy, sad, and distant? That's not the person she knew and loved. Something was gnawing him in his very soul and it's causing him not to be his happy and cheerful self.

"Naruto, where are you?" Sakura asked no one in particular. She was getting frustrated from having no luck of finding him. Sakura thinks about it for a minute and comes up with an idea where he might be...

* * *

The tress rustled and the cool wind carried a calm breeze with the leaves following its every movement fluently. Naruto was sitting under a tree, resting his back against it. He was currently doing something that he shouldn't be doing. He was thinking about Sasuke again and even more so, he was thinking about his late teacher, Jiraiya as well. Every now and then, he would glance over at the Memorial Stone. Yep. Jiraiya's name was engraved on there along with Asuma Sarutobi. Jiraiya was always there for him whenever he had a problem that he couldn't solve but now he wasn't and had to figure this one out on his own. He would talk to Sakura about it but he didn't think that would be a good idea. She still has feelings for him and to add insult to injury, talking to her about something like that would be like pouring gasoline on fire and at that very moment, he remembered when Sakura confessed to him that day...

On that snowy day in the Land of Iron, Sakura had just told Naruto that she loves him and he remains somewhat impassive about her sudden confession. She embraces him gently but he quickly breaks it, grasping her shoulders and pushing her away.

"Stop this already, Sakura-chan...I told you that this isn't funny." He said clearly upset about the decision that she made.

Naruto was very serious and hurt about what she said and Sakura exchanged him a confused look but forced a smile.

"Why the angry face...? I've just decided that it's you I care about about, not Sasuke-kun, that's all...You know what they say - a woman's heart is a fickle thing..." Sakura explained.

Naruto grips her shoulders tighter and declares in anger,"I can't stand...people who lie to themselves!"

His own words echo in his mind. He said that but he knows at one point, he's gonna have to tell her sooner or later...

"Ero-Sennin, I don't know what I should do. I've never been so lost..." He pleaded in dire need for advice.

"Naruto?" a voice called out to him.

Naruto quickly turns around and he noticed a familiar face. "Sakura-chan..." He said astonished.

Sakura carefully sat next to him. "What's wrong? You seem a little depressed..."

Naruto wasn't expecting Sakura to show up here like this but he really needed someone to talk to.

"Sakura-chan, I'm at a loss. I don't know what I should do anymore. I mean..." Naruto wasn't putting his words together well on account of his mind was a complete mess.

"You're still concerned about Sasuke-kun, aren't you?" Sakura guessed scooting closer to Naruto.

Sakura gave up on trying to bring Sasuke back. Along with some of the other ninjas in their year. She still couldn't understand why Naruto was so willing to fight and try to save someone he couldn't possibly save. Sakura felt sorry for him because after all this time, Naruto was still willing to call Sasuke his friend. It hurt her to see Naruto destroying himself over something he couldn't have. She had to get through to him quickly and what better time to do it than right now?

"Naruto, you can't keep torturing yourself like this. I understand how you feel but we have to face reality. Sasuke-kun is not the man we once knew..."

Naruto doesn't answer her. He just remains silent and continues to listen to her.

"As much we want Sasuke-kun to come back, he's not going to come back. We tried our best and did everything we could, but it still wasn't enough to stop him." Sakura said filled with sadness.

Sakura, the woman who once loved Sasuke was now telling Naruto to give up on trying to save him. These words were not very comforting to the two young shinobi and she felt even worse for having to be the one to tell him that. It was the only way she could think of to try to ease the pain in his heart.

Instead, Naruto lowers his head to hide his face from her, "Sakura, I can't give up on Sasuke...I just can't. I tried but I just can't do it. My heart is telling me to not give up and keep pushing forward."

Sakura's eyes widen slightly from Naruto's determination, "Naruto?"

"I know. It must be foolish and insane to keeping fighting for something that seems so...unattainable. I know that but I have to keep trying, because I..." The last words froze in his mouth. He was so close to saying 'I love him.' Thank god he stopped himself from doing so.

"Naruto?" Sakura was now very confused. What was Naruto trying to say? She wanted to asked him but she decided against it. "What about Nariko?" she asked changing the topic quickly.

A small smile formed on the blond's face and he chuckle quietly before he said, "Why do think I agreed to help Nariko find her sister without a second thought?"

"Hmm...How come?" The curiosity sunk deep within Sakura.

"Because Nariko has a strong, beautiful bond with her sister and she's willing to do anything to try and see her again. I could tell the two are very close just by talking with Nariko. She loves her sister and I want the two of them to continue to have that special bond. If I can't help myself, I want to at least help her." Naruto answered clenching his necklace tightly.

Sakura was completely speechless. She didn't know what to say and didn't want to say anymore than she already did. Naruto was truly hurting and Sakura could sense that. She places a firm hand on his shoulder to try to comfort the young man.

"I apologize...for what I said earlier." Sakura spoke with remorse and and she hugged him from behind.

Naruto gently placed his hand on top of hers and rests his head on it. "Thank you, Sakura-chan..." He answered gently and rested his eyes for a second from his earlier tears.

Sakura nuzzles her forehead against his beautiful blond spikes, _'Naruto, if Sasuke ever comes back...no __**when**__ he comes back, he's gonna have to deal with me...I could never forgive him for all the hell he put you through...'_ She thought and and hugs him tighter. _'I promise...'_

This was a nice setting for the two but something important just dawned on Naruto. Sakura offers him a orange handkerchief and Naruto smiles sweetly towards her as a show of thanks. Sakura helps him up to his feet and he wipes his face clean from his earlier tears.

"Sakura, where's Nariko?" Naruto asked once he was feeling a little better.

"That's the main reason why I came looking for you."

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"There's something wrong with Nariko." Sakura's voice suddenly became very serious.

Naruto paused for a minute before he panicked, "What do you mean something's wrong with her?"

"After you had left, Nariko's necklace started to react very strangely. It was fluctuating wildly."

Naruto was puzzled about this situation, "But necklaces can't do that, can they?" he convinced himself.

"I don't know exactly what it is, but she went to the Hokage's Mansion to see Tsunade. Naruto, I'm really worried. I can't help but feel that something terrible is about to happen. We should head over there immediately if we want to find out anything." Sakura explained and Naruto agreed.

* * *

Nariko was now in Tsunade's office, waiting for Naruto and Sakura to come so she can tell what was going on. The tension in the room was so thick and suffocating that it was hard for her to breath properly. Soon afterwards, Naruto and Sakura came into the office.

Naruto quickly rushed over to Nariko, "Nariko are you all right?" he asked with full concern.

Nariko smiles from her dad's concern, "I'm fine." She answers.

"Nariko, I want some answers and I want them right now! Why are you here and what is your purpose?" Tsunade said, clearly not happy at the moment. She hasn't had any sake as of today and she was in a foul mood.

After everyone had settled in the office, Nariko's smile soon fades away and she takes a deep breath. The time has finally come for Nariko to tell them the reason why she and her sister was really here. She didn't expect this to happen so soon, but she knew that deserved to know.

"Naruto, Sakura-chan, Bijin baa-chan, please forgive me." Nariko apologized before she bowed.

Tsunade felt a vain formed on the right side of her temple from the name she was called. "Bijin...baa-chan?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Naruto asked confused.

"I am not the person you think I am." Nariko explained.

Sakura looks at her in concern, "What do you mean, Nariko-chan? You haven't done anything w-"

"I've lied to all of you." Nariko cuts in, feeling guilty for deceiving them.

Naruto tilted his head slightly and looks at her with a baffled look on his face.

"Nariko, something's wrong, isn't there?" Sakura asked.

Everyone quickly glanced over to Sakura before turning back to Nariko, who had lowered her head from Sakura's assumption.

Nariko sighs, "Me and my sister Miyuki came here from the future to complete a very important mission. A mission that could possibly save lives from a natural disaster."

"A natural disaster?" Naruto and Sakura repeated in shock and disbelief.

"That's right."

Tsunade looks at Nariko with a puzzled look. A natural disaster? "If what you say is true, what is the rank of this mission of yours?" she inquired.

"It's an...S-rank mission, Tsunade-sama."

"S-rank?" Naruto and Sakura yelled again in unison.

"Will you two please stop repeating everything she saids? You're giving me a headache!" Tsunade bellowed.

An S-rank mission? That IS serious. What could Nariko and Miyuki possibly be here to prevent from happening? Just before Tsunade was gonna ask her mental question, the sound of someone knocking from the outside interrupts them.

Tsunade lets out an exasperated sigh, "Come in!"

Shizune walks in with paperwork full in her arms making her way to Tsunade's desk.

"Shizune, can't the paperwork wait? We're discussing something very important right now."

Shizune pays no mind and sets the giant stack of papers on Tsunade's desk, "Lady Tsunade, what's going on here?"

The atmosphere in this room was not easy to ignore.

"Nariko was about to tell us before you came in. Continue, Nariko." Tsunade answered.  
Nariko nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Naruto realize what she said earlier, "Wait a minute! You're from the future?" he said in shock.

"Yes I am. 21 years to be exact." was Nariko's reply.

Sakura raised an eyebrow from Nariko's answer, "Isn't time travel...impossible?"

"Yes, it is impossible...but me and my sister found a sacred scroll that consists of time travel techniques."

"I'll ask you again, Nariko. What is the reason why you and your sister are here?" Tsunade questioned trying to keep her cool.

"Me and Miyuki came here to the past to protect you, Naruto." Nariko stated.

"Protect me? Why?" Naruto asked. "I don't need protecting!"

"You don't understand, Naruto." Nariko seethed with anger. "I didn't expect you to understand."

"Then tell me why do I need protecting?"

"Because you have the sacred power of a Jinchuuriki – their element power."

"Element...power?" Sakura repeated.

"A Jinchuuriki's element power?" Tsunade rubbed her chin from the information Nariko has given her. "I never thought in my lifetime...that something like this would actually happen..."

"Actually happen? What do you mean, Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked.

"Well, from what Nariko has told us, it seems that the legend itself from many years ago is beginning to unravel..."

"Baa-chan, will you stop talking in riddles and tell us what's going on?" Naruto yelled.

Tsunade glared at the blond shinobi, "Shut up, brat! I don't have much information about this on hand right now and this is just as new to me as it is for you!"

"Bijin baa-chan, Naruto, will you please stop it?" Nariko asked. She still find their bickering amusing but now was not the time for it.

The vain on Tsunade 's temple grew slightly, "Stop calling me that! And what does that mean anyway?"

Nariko was gonna answer Tsunade but her necklace started to react again. Naruto's eyes widen with uncertainty from the unfathomable power that was emitting from the necklace.

"W-W-What the hell?" Naruto pointed frantically.

"That's what I was telling you about earlier." Sakura answers.

But there was something was different about the way it was reacting this time. The necklace was pulling itself away from Nariko. It looked like it was gonna ripped off from around her neck. Tsunade kept a calm yet serious expression on her face as she watched this action take place. After a few minutes, the necklace stopped and the energy disappeared.

Naruto took a step towards Nariko and grasp her shoulders. "What is it?"

Nariko grips her necklace. "Miyuki...she's near by!"

"Huh? She is? That's-wait...how can you tell?" Naruto still didn't understand how that even happen to start with.

"Naruto, my necklace isn't just an accessory. It's also a chakra receiver." She explained. "Whenever me and my sister come within a certain range, the necklace will react, letting me know that she's not that far away and..." Nariko became silent...

Sakura gives a look of concern. "Nariko?"

"And it's also telling me that enemies are approaching the Fire Country as we speak."

"WHAT?" Tsunade screams. "What enemies?"

"A group of rogue ninja known as the 'Bakudai'. These enemies are after the element powers of the Jinchuurikis and it's our mission to stop them from taking that power."

"Why are they after the Jinchuurikis' element powers?" Shizune questioned writing down every detail of this matter.

"Because each one carries a unique power or trait as you may call it, which are very strong power-wise."

"Well, what happens if they actually get all the element powers?" Sakura asked.

"Once they get all the element powers, they will combine together, forming a horrible beast known as the 'Infinite Jinchuuriki' and when that happens..."

Everyone in the room got really quiet by this information. They did not like where this was going and the silence was not helping.

Nariko clenches her fists, "The world will suffer from total annihilation and it will be destroyed."

The expressions on their faces ranged from shock to scared. Naruto slumps on the ground, completely at a loss for words about this situation.

Sakura swallows hard, trying to digest the information, "The world... is gonna be destroyed...?"

_'I knew it...'_ Tsunade thought.

That was just a taste. Nariko didn't want to tell them all of that just yet but they had to know something. She knows the horror of what is going to happen and she doesn't want it to repeat itself again. Nariko walks to the window and leaps on the edge of it.

"It's a race against time. I have to find my sister and put a stop to it..." Nariko whispers and jumps down from the window.

Naruto regains his composure, "Wait, Nariko!" he calls out to her but she was running at unimaginable speeds and she was already long gone.

It didn't take long for Nariko to reach the gates of the village and she zooms past Izumo and Kotetsu with great ease.

_'Miyuki, hold on...!'_ She thought as she continued to jump through the trees and towards Konoha Forest where a battle could possibly begin...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**The Battle In Konoha Forest!**

Evil shinobi enter the fray, difficult decisions are being made, and one girl fights the dangers alone...


	11. Chapter 8: The Battle In Konoha Forest!

**Hi everyone!**

**I finally updated! (claps hands) ^_^**

**Here's chapter 8!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 8**

The Battle In Konoha Forest!

Naruto, Sakura, Tsunade, and Shizune were still in the Hokage's office, the expressions on their faces had somehow subsided but it hasn't completely faltered. The aura in the room felt like someone had just died but that wasn't the case...well not yet, anyway. After ten minutes of this painful silence, Shizune was the first one to speak.

"Lady Tsunade, what should we do?" Shizune asked.

Tsuanade sat there at her with her hands folded neatly under her chin as she contemplates the situation. This was not good at all. If what Nariko said is true, then...

"Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked again, worrying about her master.

There was no time to waste! Tsunade stands up from her desk and slams her hands down with enough force to break it. Amazingly enough, it still was in one piece.

"Shizune, bring me all the books and scrolls that has legendary battles enscripted on it, including past battle records from the Great Shinobi Wars!" Tsunade commanded.

Shizune jumps from Tsunade's enraged outburst but shook it off nonetheless, "Y-Y-Yes Lady Tsunade! Right away!"

Shizune quickly ran out of the office and Naruto was still on ground with his eyes widen in shock from the tragic news. Sakura notice this and tries to get him to snap out of it but he wouldn't budge.

"Master, what should WE do?" Sakura asked referring to Naruto and herself. "I mean, we can't let this happen, right?"

"I know Sakura but we have to wait for Shizune to come back so we can know how to deal with this properly." Tsunade explained.

Naruto on the other hand was not taking this well. The statement 'The world was gonna be destroyed.' played in his mind over and over again and this caused so many things for the blond to think about: people and his friends will die, nations would be destroyed, Sasuke, the love of his life and his dream will no longer be something he could have...It will all be gone...permanently...

Naruto clenches his fists tightly, "I won't let this happen..." he whispers, holding back the rage that had somehow build up inside of him.

"Naruto?" Sakura said as he stood up from his position and headed for the door.

"Where are you going, Naruto?" Tsunade asked, hoping that Naruto wasn't gonna do what she thought he was gonna do.

Naruto had his hand on the doorknob and he states in a low tone "I'm...going after Nariko."

"What?" Tsunade nearly shouted but she composed herself from doing anymore damage.

"Baa-chan, I can't just sit by and let something like this happen!" Naruto declared. "I gotta do something!"

Sakura knew that Naruto wasn't going to let this slide, so decided to try and reason with him. "Naruto, I don't think it's a good idea to jump into a battle without knowing your enemies or their strength."

"Sakura-chan, Nariko is going out there **by** herself to fight the 'Bakudai' **by** herself." Naruto emphasized the 'by' part in a harsh tone.

Sakura could feel the anger coming from Naruto's voice as her eyes became full with guilt.

"She's going to try to do everything **by** herself! What if she loses her life? What if the 'Bakudai' comes here looking for me? Then what? What do you think is gonna happen?"

"Naruto..." Tsunade said.

"I refuse to wait for that to happen! With or without your permission, Baa-chan, I'm going to help Nariko and I'm gonna change this horrible fate!" Naruto shouted before he ran out the office.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted toward the door as she heard his running footsteps slowly disappeared. She let her pink bangs fall over eyes as she shook her head slightly. "Naruto, what's happening to you?"

"Sakura." Tsunade spoke, breaking the silence in the room. Sakura turns around to her master. "I know how you feel but Naruto...is right. We can't just sit here and do nothing! Sakura, here is your mission. Your mission is to assist Naruto in helping Nariko defeating the 'Bakudai'. And if possible, find Hinata and Kiba and take them with you. Hinata can use her Byakugan to track the area while Kiba can track their scents to find them. Do you understand?"

Sakura straightens up quickly, "Yes, ma'am." she answers as she ran out the door as well.

Tsunade was getting a serious headache, so she pours a small swig of sake into her cup and sipped it, savoring the flavor in every drop. It was an hour later when Shizune came back with the stuff Tsunade asked for. She was carrying fives books in under one arm and several scrolls under the other. She was so tired from carrying all that stuff from the library that she almost collapsed.

"Okay, Lady Tsunade..." Shizune announced out of breath. "Here are the scrolls..."

Tsunade was kind enough to take them from Shizune, since she looked like she was gonna past out any minute now.

"And here are the books." Shizune said as she got ready to sit them on the table. The minute the books hit the table, the entire table fell apart and split into two jagged pieces. Papers went flying everywhere and in every direction. Tsunade face fell and she narrowed her eyes at Shizune because of the incident.

"Shizune, I'm gonna give you to the count of 3 to leave my office right now..." Tsunade said slightly irritated. "1..."

"Ha ha ha..." Shizune laughed disbelievingly. "You're joking, right? Right?"

Ignoring her question, Tsunade walked towards Shizune with a cold glare as she cracks her knuckles. "2..."

Shizune backs away slowly, "Lady Tsunade, please don't...!" she pleaded.

The last step Tsunade took made a huge footprint on the hardwood floor. "3."

"AIIEE!" Shizune screeched before she made a run for it out her office. She didn't even bother closing the door behind her either. Poor thing. You can't blame her for being scared at all. I mean, who wants to get pummeled by Tsuande? Let's see...nobody!

After a few minutes, Tsunade let out few laughs before saying, "Jeez, Shizune! I was only kidding! I thought you would of known me by now..."

Tsunade goes inside her office and locks the door behind her. Now that she has some sake, she's good to go now. Believe it or not, she concentrates better with sake in her system. She didn't want to be disturbed and wants to do her studying in peace. She also knew...that this was gonna take a while.

* * *

In the center of Konoha Forest, a black hole forms on the ground and two mysterious figures jumped from out of it. They were both wearing platinum silver cloaks with a black joint-circles on the back of it. Their cloak hoods hid their features except for the body shape. One was a man and the other was a woman.

"Jeez, who would thought those brats would try to come to the past?" The woman said to the man. It was obvious that she was irritable.

"Pipe down. You're always complaining about something!" The man yelled back. "How did I get stuck with you as a partner is beyond me."

"Excuse me? Don't make me shove my foot up your ass!" She retorted back. "I don't like being partnered up with you either but let's just deal with it!"

The man fell silent as he felt surges of powerful chakra through his veins. "The enemies are coming...And it seems to be more of them..."

The woman glances over to him, "What should we do?"

"This is quite unexpected. The leader said kill Naruto Uzumaki, but he didn't say that we would have to fight anyone else besides him..."

"What's your point?" She was growing impatient.

"I'm saying that in order to complete our mission, we're gonna have to kill those who get in the way...This is what we're gonna do. You stay here to keep the other ones from coming through and I'll go after the Jinchuuriki." He explained.

"Okay...Hey! How come you get to go after him?"

"It's obvious that you can't handle the Jinchuuriki. Just leave it to me."

"And what's that suppose to mean?" She whined. "I'm strong fighter, too!"

Before she can get an answer, he disappears in a puff of smoke.

"All right. All right. Fine. Stupid asshole..." She sneered before she disappeared in lightning sparks.

* * *

With Miyuki leading the way, Sasuke and the members of Team Hawk were running through the forest and jumping through countless trees every now and then so they can cut their time to reaching the borderline to the Fire Country. They have been running nonstop for the past three hours and Sasuke wasn't showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon. The only one who was remotely able to keep up with Miyuki's speed was Sasuke. He wondered what kind of ninja was Miyuki to be able to run at such speeds. Miyuki on the other hand was worried about her father and what she had explained to the team earlier about the situation...

_*~*~*~*~*~*__"The 'Bakudai'?" Karin questioned.__did what she did..."_

Miyuki had told them that Naruto was going to die if they didn't act quickly or do something to stop whoever it was that was going to do that to him. Sasuke couldn't quite place it but he didn't believe her for some reason...Maybe it was his pride talking but who knows? Sasuke needed some answers and he was gonna get them one way or another...

"What do you mean Naruto is going to die?" Sasuke asked not sure is Miyuki was telling the truth. He has a lot of questions to get out of her about what was going on.

"You don't believe me, don't you?" Miyuki answered with a sigh but she should of suspected this from her own father. "Oh...where do I even start with this?"

Miyuki stood there for a couple of minutes, trying her best to put the words together to explain this situation.

"Miyuki-san, what exactly is going on here?" Jugo asked. "And why did your necklace react like that?"

"My necklace is a chakra receiver. Whenever my sister and I are within a certain range, it will react, letting me know where she is."

"Miyuki, who are you, really and why have you come here?" Sasuke asked trying not to be too angry.

"My sister, Nariko and myself have come here from the future to save the world from destruction and total chaos. We're also here to protect Naruto from a group of rogue ninja known as the 'Bakudai' who wants to achieve that goal."

"I never heard of them before..." Jugo stated with confusion.

Suigetsu couldn't believe it. The girl that he secretly liked was not even from this time. "You're from the future, Miyuki?"

Miyuki saw the hurt in Suigetsu's eyes and nodded slowly. "Yes, I am... 21 years to be exact and we're here to stop the 'Bakudai' from taking the Jinchuurikis' element power."

"Element power?" Sasuke asked himself. "What the hell is that?"

"I'm not entirely sure. The only thing I know is that each Jinchuuriki has a unique trait or power and if the 'Bakudai' get all of them, the powers will gather to create a beast called the 'Infinite Jinchuuriki'. I'm so sorry, my sister knows more about this than I do."

"Hn..." Was Sasuke's response. Infinite Jinchuuriki? He never heard of that, either.

Even with all this information, Sasuke only had one concern...and that was Naruto. He couldn't bare the thought of something happening to his blond. "Is Naruto really going to die...?" He questioned again.

"Yes, I suppose...that would happen if we don't save him..." Miyuki answers with sadness.

"That can't be good." Jugo said with worry.

"If the 'Infinite Jinchuuriki' appears..." Miyuki's face changes drastically, "The Five Great Nations along with the world WILL be destroyed."

By now, the expression on their faces of Team Hawk screamed frighten but Sasuke's was more reserved than the others. He was worried but he couldn't let the others see that...

"Aww, man..." Suigetsu followed. "Things were bad enough, but this? Jesus..."

"Karin." Sasuke said sternly and Karin understood by where he was going with this.

"I'm all over it!" Karin uses her Mind's Eye of the Kagura on Miyuki to check her chakra fluctuations to see if she was telling the truth or not. Suigetsu was not happy by Sasuke's take on this situation.

"You don't believe her at all, don't you?" Suigetsu sneered in anger. "She's warning us before this tragedy can even occur! Don't you think that's enough?"

"It could be a trap or something of the like." He simply answered.

Miyuki was truly hurt now. Her own father was doubting what she was saying. You can't really blame him for it, either. He knows that time travel is impossible and everything else she told him seem so...surreal.

"I believe her, Sasuke." Suigetsu retorted back defending her. "I'm sure she had her reasons why she

Miyuki smiles from Suigetsu's words, "Suigetsu-kun..." At least he believed her.

Karin finishes performing her jutsu, "Her chakra is flowing normally and her heartbeat and mind is steady. She's telling the truth, Sasuke. What will you do?"

"Miyuki-san, What about your sister, Nariko-san? What is she gonna do?" Jugo questioned.

"Knowing her, she's probably on her way to either face the 'Bakudai' or she's coming for me." Miyuki explained.

Sasuke thought about it and he has to come up with a conclusion that could work to his benefit as well as his friends. Over time, Sasuke has consider his teammates as his close friends.

"It's simple. We're going to fight the 'Bakudai and protect Naruto..." Sasuke answered.

This made Miyuki form a smile that was so full of hope, "Thank you..."

"I've been waiting for a fight...for a long time." Suigetsu grinned thinking about the sheer joy of slicing people up. He hasn't been able to let loose for a while.

Sasuke smirks, "Lead the way, Miyuki..."

Sasuke shook the thoughts away but a beautiful image of Naruto smiling in the sun plagued his mind, which caused him to blush slightly.

_'Naruto, please be all right...'_ Sasuke thought as they raced through the trees.

After a while, they all land in the Forest Of Fire, which is a forest close to Konoha Forest. They don't have much farther to go but they are ready for an all out battle in Konoha Forest!

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**Uchiha Lineage!**

Nariko runs into one of the Bakudai and she makes a vows to stop them no matter what...


	12. Chapter 9: Uchiha Lineage!

**Hi everyone! I would like thank EVERYONE who continues to read, review, and support my story! It means alot to me! ****I would also like to thank the newcomers to the story as well! Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites, story and author alerts! ^_^**

**I gotta give a special thank you to _AnauchihaD _on DeviantART for bringing my first OC Nariko to life with her commission and also for giving me the strength to wanna make my story better. I really appreciate it. Thank you very much, Anahis. ^_^**

**Okay, enough with my mushy stuff! Here is chapter 9!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 9:**

Uchiha Lineage!

Nariko continues on her journey through the trees to Konoha Forest. Nariko was now thinking over the decision that she had made on her own. Was she too careless and selfish to think how the others would feel about her decision? She was starting to feel somewhat guilty for leaving them behind like that. She has done some pretty reckless things before, but this one was really getting to her...

_'Naruto, Sakura-chan, Bijin-baachan, please forgive me...'_

In the air, she smells something vaguely burning. It smells like smoke but it had a familiar scent to it. It smelled like..Nariko gasps and she saw in front of her what was the cause of that smell. It was a flying kunai with a paper bomb attached to it. Her eyes widen and it explodes on contact, knocking her down to the ground from its explosive force. Just before she hits the ground, she turns her body around, landing of her hands and landing back on her feet. Nariko wipes her eyes from the smoke that's temporarily blinding her sight.

"Damn it...! I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't even see that coming..." She whined angrily. Usually, she was SO much sharper than this when detecting bombs and traps of the like.

"Look at what we've have here..." A voice chided faintly in the distance.

Thinking quickly, Nariko pulls out the kunai knife she had somehow obtained from the earlier explosion and brought it up to her chest as her left hand rested on the back of her right hand, gripping the kunai with all her might. Carefully, she scans the area for any type of chakra signature but she found none. Instead the voice spoke to her again.

"I never thought I would have to fight you so soon..." It said again with a hint of amusement. "This is gonna be fun..."

Nariko looked around her again she still didn't see anyone in the entire area. She realized the voice was that of a man and she started ranting off at him.

"You bastard! You coward! You come out here and fight me like a man!" Nariko yelled, not letting up on scanning her surroundings...

The one thing Nariko couldn't stand about a man is when they thought they were better than anyone. Especially towards women and young girls. It was just something about it that always made her blood boil. She couldn't stand sexist people. Especially if that person was a man and he discriminate towards women.

_'Is he toying with me...?'_ Nariko thought.

Then, she felt radiating heat, intense heat that gradually increased the closer it got to her. She turns around and she sees a swirling flame column coming towards her direction.

The man's voice yells, "Katon: Boushikadou!" [火遁:紡績渦(Fire Release: Spinning Vortex)]

Nariko sees the attack coming towards her but she weighs her options on how to avoid it. Her first option was to use a technique to evade it and her second option was just to simply dodge it. But, if she were to dodge it, the trees in the forest would easily catch on fire, instantly starting a forest fire. There was only one technique she could use that would instantly cancel out the attack...

She places her hand on top of her necklace and shouts, "Chakura Shouheki!" [チャクラ難関 (Chakra Barrier)]

A transparent, circular barrier surrounds her and the second the fire touched, the fire quickly vanished. When it felt safe again, Nariko lowers the barrier around her. From the distance, she could hear faint clapping and she was greeted by a man with a silver hooded cloak on, covering his features...

"I expected nothing less..." The man said walking towards her.

Nariko's anger increased ten fold after she noticed the cloak that he was wearing. "You are...!"

* * *

Naruto was at his apartment, gearing up for his mission to help Nariko. He was in no shape to fight the enemy in his casual clothes, he so went back home to change into his proper clothes. He stocked up on weapons and miniature scrolls, sharpen his kunai knife before putting it inside his Hidden Kunai Mechanism. He zipped up his jacket and put on his headband and with a tight grip, tighten the knot around it. He was about to leave until he noticed the picture that had kept for years sitting on the nightstand. The old team picture of Team 7 when they were genin. He glanced over to look at Sasuke with that annoyed look on his face.

_'He never did like taking pictures...The only time he did smile is when he made me feel like an idiot.' _Naruto traced out Sasuke's face with his index finger. _'Sasuke...'_

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Naruto grabs his backpack and rushes out of his apartment after locking up of course. Fifteen minutes later, Naruto reached the gates of the Hidden Leaf Village and he was greeted by Izumo and Kotetsu.

"Naruto-kun, how are you?" Izumo greeted happily. "Are you going on another mission, today?"

Naruto nodded. "Yep!"

Kotetsu sighs from Naruto's enthusiam, "You go on missions like crazy. Don't you ever get tired?" he asked.

"Me? No way! I can't stop doing missions! I have keep getting stronger and stronger because I'm gonna be the Hokage someday!" Naruto declares with a fist in the air.

Kotetsu and Izumo smile at him. _'Same old Naruto...'_ they thought as they open the gates for the blond shinobi. Naruto starts to walk towards the gates and he was almost out until-

"Naruto!" A voiced called out to him and he turned around to see three familiar faces: Sakura, Kiba and Akamaru, and Hinata.

"Sakura-chan, Kiba, Hinata, what are you doing here?" He asked. He hoped they weren't there to try and stop him because he will NOT have that.

"What kind of greeting is that?" Kiba yelled angrily. "We're here to help you, man!"

"Sakura-san told us about what was happening and she asked us to come with her to help you." Hinata said.

Naruto just stood and looked at Hinata with wide eyes the size of saucers. "Hinata...you don't stutter anymore..." He exclaimed.

Ever since Hinata started dating Kiba, she grew stronger and a little braver, henceforth causing her not to stutter anymore whenever she was around Naruto. Naruto was somewhat relieved for that because he always found it so strange when she did it.

Naruto was happy because Sakura didn't abandon him after all. "Sakura-chan, is this true?"

Sakura gave him a stern nod. "That's right, Naruto. If you want to help Nariko, then you're need all the help you can get...And friends always help each other out."

"All right, then! Let's go save Nariko-san from the 'Bakudai'!" Kiba declared.

"And bring back Miyuki-san as well." Hinata stated.

Naruto's expression changed to a sunny smile. "You guys...you guys are the greatest!"

Sakura chuckles, "Well, talking isn't gonna get us anywhere. Let's go!"

The others agreed quickly and with Naruto leading them, the four of them headed out the gates before Izumo and Kotetsu went back to their posts.

"Kids these days..." Izumo said.

"When you say it like that, you sound like an old man." Kotetsu joked.

"Shut up."

Naruto, Sakura, Kiba, and Hinata had been traveling the forest for about an hour now and the gates of Konoha were no longer visible to them, which meant they were getting getting closer to their destination.

"You guys, we're almost at Konoha Forest." Sakura announced.

"All right!" Naruto said excited. He has been wanting to fight for a while now and he'll finally get the chance to just let loose. "Kiba, can you track down Nariko's scent?"

Kiba laughs, "No problem!" he said as he began to sniff around the area for her signature chakra scent.

_'Nariko, why did you have to go off on your own like that?'_ Naruto thought and he laughed because she reminds him of himself whenever things get out of hand or when he flies off the handle. _'I can't really blame her for it...'_

"Naruto, the chakra scent is too faint. I can't pick up her scent." Kiba said disappointed and Akamaru whined. "I guessed Akamaru can't pick it up, either."

Naruto grew silent from Kiba's answer. Knowing this, Sakura decides to take charge of the situation. "Hinata, how much farther do we have to go and what is the perimeter of Konoha Forest?" she asked.

"Hmm..." Hinata did the necessary hand signs and shouts, "Byakugan!"

Hinata focused her chakra and her sight pierces through the countless trees to decipher how far they would really have to go. After a while, Hinata finished up gathering up the coordinates of the terrain.

"Sakura-san, Konoha Forest isn't too far from here...We should be passing the borderline soon and the perimeter is about 3 kilometers." Hinata explained, dispelling her Byakugan.

"The area is that big? That's a ways off but we have no time to waste!" Sakura said. "I've been wanting to fight, too."

"Now, you're talking my language, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said excited again. "Let's go kick some 'Bakudai' ass!"

Sakura's smile vanished. _'But the one person I really want to fight is...Sasuke-kun...'_

Although she was fairly glad to be able to fight after her second training journey with Tsunade, She really wanted to take a crack at Sasuke for hurting Naruto...She didn't know when it would happen but she knows if it ever did happen, she wasn't gonna hold back just because she used to love him. She would make him pay with every fiber of her being.

With that said in mind, the gang continues through the forest in silence except for Naruto's loud rambling about sending the 'Bakudai' to hell and back.

* * *

Nariko regains her composure and examines the man that was approaching her. "The platinum silver cloaks, the black jointed circles, there's no mistake...! You're one of the 'Bakudai'!"

"If it isn't the Sharingan princess herself, Nariko Uchiha." The man chuckles at Nariko's accusation. "I am surprised you know who I am..."

"You've come here to kill Naruto and take his Jinchuuriki's element power!" Nariko stood up from her position and began to focus her chakra. "Since, you weren't able to take it in our time, your leader has ordered you to take it from this time. Am I right?"

"Hmph...You're pretty smart, Sharingan princess." The man said. "In fact, your even smarter than your old man..."

Nariko clenches her fists in anger to the point that they were turning white. "How dare you...!"

"I commend you, Sharingan princess. Your perception...is indeed impressive. Nothing personal brat, but you're in the way! If you don't want to die, then I suggest you leave." The man threatened.

"You got the wrong one if you think I would back down from the likes of you..." Nariko declared. "I'm gonna put a stop to you right now!"

"Hmph. You have your dad's spunk but do you have his strength?" The man taunted.

Nariko closes her eyes and focus all of her chakra into her mind, "You people don't give a damn about peace. All you care about is death, pain and destruction..." when she opens her eyes, they were no longer her pretty blue coal ones, her eyes were the color of blood. She had activated her Sharingan. Her eyes has fully matured, showing the three tomoes in each one as proof of mastering the Doujutsu.

"They call me 'Roaring Thunder' for a reason. I will show you why they call me that..."

Nariko charges towards the man head on and the man just stands there, not moving or even flinching...

* * *

* * * **CHAPTER PREVIEW* * ***

"Sasuke, you go after Naruto and we'll take care of the 'Bakudai.'" Karin said

"What do you think we've doing for the past 3½ months?" Suigetsu asked. "Certainly not sitting around picking daisies."

"Let us take care of things for a change." Juugo suggested.

"What? No! I can't let you guys do that!" Sasuke protest.

"We'll be fine, Sasuke. Just have faith in us..." Karin stated.

The next chapter of Changing Fate:

**The Promise Of Team Hawk**

**Please review and comment!**


	13. Chapter 10: The Promise Of Team Hawk

**I have to thank _AnauchihaD _on DeviantART for bringing my second OC Miyuki to life with her commission. Thank you very much, Anahis. ^_^ If it's not too much for my readers, can you guys answer the poll on my profile? I'm kinda stuck on how I really want these battles to start. I really appreciate it if you guys help me out!**

**Sorry I took so long with this one! Here is chapter 10!**

* * *

**CHAPTER 10:**

The Promise Of Team Hawk

With the kunai in her hand, Nariko lunges forward towards the 'Bakudai' member with full force. When she was close enough, her grip on her kunai tighten, digging deep into her palm and Nariko pierces through the left side of his chest, aiming for his heart.

"Ha! Gotcha!" Nariko chided in triumph as she pierces even deeper inside but something wasn't right. There was no sigh of blood trickling down the kunai or even coming from his body. No aspiration of any kind...(A/N: Aspiration is a medical term for when blood spills from the body. Preferably from the mouth.)

She raises her left eyebrow in confusion, trying to contemplate what was happening but the man in the cloak suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke. Nariko's eyes widen as she felt a strong surge of chakra coming from behind her. She turns around and she sees the real 'Bakudai' member behind her, holding a red chakra sword infused with fire. Nariko gasps and her body doesn't react in time for a counterattack.

'He's a Fire Element user?' Nariko thought as the man's sword extends towards her in high speeds.

"You underestimated me!" The man howls and the sword stabs Nariko through her chest and she cringes in pain, desperately grabbing onto the chakra sword for dear life. Her blood seeps through her sealed lips as her arms fall numbly to her sides, succumbing to the pain...

* * *

After two more hours of constant running, Team Hawk had finally made it across the borderline to the Land of Fire. Everyone except for Miyuki and Sasuke was now worn out and tired from the non-stop traveling. Sasuke looks up at the sign that saids 'Welcome to the Fire Country' and in an instant, many memories from from his started to flood his mind. Many were about the old days when he was with Team 7 as a genin but most of them were about Naruto and how their friendship turned into a hardship between good and evil. So many painful memories...

Now he was back in the Land of Fire, his home where he belonged and where a certain blond ninja was there, waiting for his return. His eyes soften at the thought of what could Naruto be doing at this very moment. _'His life is in danger and he probably doesn't even know it.'_

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" Jugo asked as he walked up to him to see if he was all right and Sasuke turn around to the others. "Are you all right?"

"What are we gonna do? We can't all fight the 'Bakudai' and try to rescue Naruto too." Karin said. "I mean, how are we gonna do this?"

"You haven't thought through this yet, have you?" Suigetsu asked. "Are you really gonna jump into a battle so blindly like that?"

Sasuke haven't really thought this through. Usually, he would analyze the situation and pick the best option for him and his teammates. The only thing that matter to him was Naruto's safety and because of that, he was not thinking clearly.

"Suigetsu, we don't have any other options. It's the best thing we can do right now." Sasuke said and turns away from his teammates. "Saving Naruto from the 'Bakudai' is the our main priority right now..."

Sasuke begins to walk off but Karin grabs Sasuke's wrist. "No, Sasuke. You go to Konohagakure to protect Naruto and _we'll_ take care of the 'Bakudai'."

"We will?" Jugo asked, not sure that Karin was being serious at the moment.

"Yes, we will." Karin answers and she let's go of Sasuke's wrist. Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo, exchange glances and they all agree about fighting the 'Bakudai' without Sasuke's help.

"What?" Sasuke answered in shock. "I can't let you do that!"

"Yes you can, Sasuke. It's about time we show you what the three of us can do on our own..." Karin spoke. She was pretty confident about their fighting and she wanted to let Sasuke know that they can handle themselves in battle.

"We can handle it." Jugo said feeling more confident about fighting for Sasuke's sake. "Let's us take care of things for a change."

"What do you think we've doing for the past 3½ months?" Suigetsu asked. "Certainly not sitting around picking daisies."

Sasuke was about to protest again when Karin stopped him, "Sasuke, remember what we did before we left to come here?" she asked.

Sasuke didn't answer her. He knows very well what they did before they came here. "Yes, I know..."

"We burned our Akatsuki robes! We did it because we want to start over and have a new life." Jugo said simply. "You did it to repent for the sins and all the horrible things you did in the past."

"We did it for ourselves and we did it for you, too!" Suigetsu yelled, hoping to get through the cold-hearted man he called his leader. "I'm sick and tired of you being sad all the time!"

Sasuke was indeed surprised from the responses he was getting from his teammates. What surprised him even more was the determination he saw within each one of them, especially Karin, considering that he hasn't really seen her do much in battle. Sasuke comtemplates on what to do about this situation. Can he really trust his friends to take care of this on their own? Many questions begins to form in his mind. What if they didn't make it in time? What if his friends died in battle? What if Naruto died? He didn't even want to think about the consequences of those outcomes.

Miyuki steps up to Sasuke, "Sasuke, Jugo-san, Karin-chan, and Suigetsu-kun are willing to risk their lives for your happiness. They want you to be happy. Besides, Naruto is YOUR priority and if it makes you feel any better, I'm a medical ninja." she stated as her holds up her survival kit. "I'll go with them to help better the chances of survival."

Sasuke raises his eyebrow in disapproval and he looks over at his friends once more and lets out a sigh, "All right...I putting you guys in charge of the 'Bakudai'."

Miyuki smiles at her father's decision, _'Thank you, father...'_

Sasuke turns to Suigetsu and notions him to come to where he was. Suigetsu immediately goes over to him and Sasuke places his hand on his shoulder, "Suigetsu, I am counting on you to look after everyone on the team while I go after Naruto, especially Miyuki since she claims she's a medical ninja." he ordered. "For the time being, you're team leader."

"Say what?" Karin screamed. "How does he get to be team leader?"

"Karin, we don't have time for this. People's lives are at stake." Jugo interjected. "Besides, Sasuke is doing what he thinks is best for the team."

_'Suigetsu-kun...' Miyuki thought. 'I believe you can do it...'_

"I can't believe I'm about to say this but here it goes. In order for you guys to be sucessful, teamwork is the most important element to have in battle. Please use that method when you guys fight against the 'Bakudai'. I absolutely REFUSE to hear about you guys dying on the battlefield because you argued and the teamwork fell apart."

Suigetsu laughed at Sasuke's failed attempt at a joke, "Don't worry, Sasuke. We promise that we won't let you down...no matter what!"

Hearing that, Sasuke looks at everyone around him and he smirks in gratitude and he saids, "I'm counting on you guys..." and he continues on his journey alone to find his beloved blond in Konohagakure, hoping that he will be all right...

* * *

"You let your guard down, Sharingan princess..." The man growled and the heat intensifies as he continues to pierce even deeper into her flesh...

With the little strength that she has left, Nariko uses the sword as a leverage to lift herself up, just enough to look down at the man that was trying to kill her. The only thing she could do was smirk at him. "Hehehe...you fell for it..."

Nariko vanishes in a puff of smoke and in a swift movement, a fierce hand buries itself in the grass and the real Nariko uses a swift upper kick on the 'Bakudai' member, launching him in the air. Not wasting any time, Nariko slowly appears behind him, closely matching his body movement like a shadow. "Not so tough now, are you? A woman can be as delicate as a flower but as deadly as a snake's bite. Never underestimate a female ninja!"

The man hate to admit it but for a young woman such as Nariko to be as skilled as she was is indeed impressive. It has been a very long time since he fought such a worthy opponent and for that opponent to be a female...made it even better.

The man easily looks behind her and he whispers, "Kage...Buyō." [(影舞葉 Shadow Of The Dancing Leaf)]

"Hmph...good eye. You are the first of few shinobi who recognizes this ancient technique but in a few minutes, you won't be able to recognize anything because I'm gonna put you down!" Nariko drawls out in anger and she starts things off with a front kick, which he blocked with ease.

"You think that will be enough to beat me, Sharingan princess?" He asked.

Nariko quickly forms the hand sign of the tiger and chakra begins to travel throughout her body, "Not by a long shot!" she replies and attacks again with a backhand swing towards the man's chest.

"That's useless, Sharingan princess!" The man quickly crosses his chest and avoids the attack, but when the attack hits, there is a strong burning sensation. 'What the? Where's that heat coming from...?'

Nariko smirks as red chakra forms around her hand. She clenches her hand close, making a fist and she attacks with a hard punch to the gut. The man is sent flying towards the ground backfirst and Nariko quickly pursues him to finish him off. "Can you feel the heat?"

_'I see...She can concentrate and control her chakra to intense levels. Intense enough for it to be visible by the human eye. She's good...'_

"Now! You'll pay for what you've done!"

The man falls on his back on the hard, grassy plain and Nariko soon follows him and she shouts, "Katon: Shishi Rendan!" [火遁:(獅子連弾Fire Release: Lions Combo)]

With swift movement, Nariko turns her body around on her left side and brings down her elbow for the final blow. The attack connects with his stomach and the shattering sound from the attack echoed on the battlefield. She jumps off him, regaining her fighting stance as she looks towards him. "Tell me if that move doesn't give chest pain a whole new meaning!"

Carefully, Nariko glances over at the man to see if he was still alive. His body wasn't moving but still... _'Did I get him...!'_

The second she turns around, Nariko was strucked in the stomach with a hard punch! Her eyes narrow and she tumbles unto the ground, receiving several scratches as the grass and dirt stain her clothes. Nariko hugs her midsection tightly from the impact of the attack while dark red blood dribbles from her mouth, signaling the damage the attack had done. Struggling to stand up, Nariko groans as the extreme pain begins to set in. _'Damn it...! I thought I had him with that move...!'_

Nariko quickly realize that the man used the 'Clone Jutsu' on her once again the minute it clone disappeared and real man appeared before her.

_'This isn't good. I have to come up with a stragety to beat this man! If I don't, my dad and all the other Jinchuurikis will be killed...!' Nariko thought._

"So, you're a Fire Element user as well, Sharingan princess. This is gonna get very interesting..." The man said as he walks toward Nariko, unbuttoning the clasps on his platinum cloak. "Let's see who's flame is stronger, shall we?"

_'Think, Nariko, think! If only I knew who he was...Maybe I can have a better understanding about how his jutsus and attacks work...!'_

The man must of read Nariko's mind because with that last statement, the man removes his cloak, tossing into the air as the wind carries it away in a strong gust of wind and leaves. Nariko's eyes widen in shock and surprise as she finally sees the man behind the cloak...

"No way...It can't be...!" The first 'Bakudai' member's secret identity is finally revealed...

* * *

* * * **CHAPTER PREVIEW* * ***

"Sakura-chan, I think you were blushing when you first saw me." Nariko said.

"What gave you that idea, Nariko-chan?" Sakura protest.

"You find me attractive, don't you?" Nariko stated.

"No, I don't!" Sakura retorted in defense.

"Yes, you do."

The second special chapter of Changing Fate:

**Omake#1: Nariko Teases Sakura**

**Please review and comment!**


	14. Special Chapter 2

**Hi everybody! It's been almost two whole months since I last updated! I'll try to update faster in the future if I can help it!**

**College life is rough and some days it's SO boring and it makes me not want to write. I won't delay you guys anymore.**

**Here is special chapter 2!**

* * *

**Special Chapter 2: **

Nariko Teasing Sakura

Note: This short story takes place during chapters 5 and 6.

"Sakura-chan, it was very nice of you to take me out for lunch." Nariko said with a smirk.

"It's not a problem, Nariko-chan. I'm glad I was able to."

Nariko and Sakura were in Ichiraku Ramen, sharing a big bowl of miso pork ramen together. Sakura thought it would be a good idea to get to know Nariko better on a personal level, since she knew next to nothing about the kunoichi.

"Sakura-chan, remember the first day I came here to the past?" Nariko asked as she slurps up some of her ramen. Not being rude of course.

"Yeah, I do." Sakura answered as she eats some of her ramen. "You really caught us off guard when we first saw you. You look just like our old friend, Sasuke."

Nariko paused from Sakura had said. "An old friend?"

"Yeah. You look so much like him that it's almost scary..." Sakura said with a smile and eats some more of the ramen from the bowl.

"Is that so?" Nariko asked and she eats some more ramen. "If he were to ever see me, I wonder how he would react?"

"Oh, I can just imagine..." Sakura said. "Probably with wide eyes saying 'Who in the hell are you?'"

Nariko couldn't help but laugh from that. _'That sounds like something my father would say...'_

"When Naruto saw you, his expression was priceless. He looked like he had just seen a ghost!" Sakura said between her fits of laughter.

"Hmph. I wouldn't laugh if I were you. Sakura-chan."

Sakura blinked, "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I think you we're blushing when you first saw me." Nariko said casually as Sakura dropped her chopsticks from the ravenette's accusation. "Did you find me attractive or something?"

Sakura had forgot that she too had reacted to Nariko's appearance as well. She couldn't help but turn away from the kunoichi, who clearly had a smirk plastered on her face.

"Umm...no! What gave you that idea?" she asked scrambling for her chopsticks.

Nariko thought it would be a good idea to tease her future sensei a little bit. "Because your cheeks were red." she joked and she starts to giggle at Sakura's sudden blush. "And they're turning red now. You think I'm pretty, don't you?"

Sakura nearly choked on a noodle, "No, I don't!" she said in defense.

"Yes, you do." Nariko retorted back.

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I do-"

Sakura was cut off when Nariko grabs Sakura's chin and turns her head to face hers. "Yes, you do. Or to be more precise, you thought I was beautiful that day. Am I right...?"

"Ummm, I-"

Nariko chuckles, "You're a pretty girl, too, Sakura-chan..." she complimented and brushed a single strand of Sakura's hair to the side. "I appreciate the compliment."

Sakura's blush became a brighter shade of red, "Nariko-chan, what are you...doing?" she asked, feeling a little uneasy from the younger girl's strange behavior.

"In order for you to blush like that around me because of him, you must of really liked Sasuke in the past." She pointed out. _'Indeed she did, but I wonder if it's still there...'_

Sakura was now only inches away from Nariko's face and there was only one question that was running through her mind. _'Umm, is she going to...?'_

"Isn't it obvious?" Nariko asks as she leans in closer, almost nose to nose with pink-haired girl. "Sakura, will you...?"

Sakura's eyes widen from the fact that her thoughts were read by the girl, "N-Nariko-chan...?" her lips started to quiver and her blush intensified. _'Okay! Time to panic!'_

_**INNER SAKURA**_

_**"SHANAROO! Don't just stand there, do something! She's gonna kiss you!"**_

"Sakura-chan..." Nariko said her name with a such a need...

"Uh..uh..." Sakura's face was now a bright red from Nariko bringing her face so dangerously close to hers. The only thing she could at this point to save herself from total embarrassment was to close her eyes so she wouldn't see what happens.

"Sakura-chan, why are you closing your eyes?"

Sakura opens one eye to see Nariko holding a white cloth in her hand and her head tilted slightly she asked with a suspicious look on her face. "I was just gonna tell you that your have miso broth on your cheek and I was gonna wipe it up for you."

Sakura's mouth went slack from the ravenette's explanation. "That's it?"

"Yeah, that's it. What did you think was going to happen?"

There was no way Sakura was getting out of this one. She was trapped. "Honestly, I thought that you were gonna...I thought you were gonna..."

"Do what?" Nariko asked.

"Ummm...kiss me?" Sakura answered truthfully.

Silence.

"Is that why your face color changed to that of a bright red cherry?" Nariko questioned.

Sakura nodded.

Nariko raised her arched eyebrow at Sakura for a minute and she just bursts out laughing. "Oh, man! I thought I had a sense of humor!"

Sakura was now even more embarrassed than she already was.

"Are you serious? You thought I was gonna kiss you?" Nariko turns away in her chair from Sakura and wipes the tears from her eyes.

"You made it seem that way, Nariko-chan! You can't just come on to people and say things like that!"

"You can't blame me, Sakura-chan!" Nariko takes the cloth and she cleans her face with soft strokes. "You set yourself up for that one! That was the furthest thing from my mind!"

"Nariko-chan...!" Sakura said warning her not to say anything else or go any further.

"Jeez...No need to be so upset. I was only teasing you! You need to laugh more often or you'll be as bitter as bijin baa-chan." Nariko said in between laughs and Sakura just glared daggers at the ravenette, thinking of so many different ways to ignore her, shut her up or even worse...possibly kill her.

"Ha-ha-ha, very funny..." Sakura grumbled begrudgingly to Nariko, who was still laughing at her. "You may look like Sasuke...but you're the complete OPPOSITE of him!"

_**INNER SAKURA**_

_**"Oops...my bad...Sorry about that!"**_

Sakura turns away in her chair with her arms crossed, pouting while Nariko continues to have a good laugh. _'I am never listening to my inner self...again...'_

_

* * *

_

The next chapter of Changing Fate:

**Attack Mode: Team Hawk!**

With Suigetsu as the team leader, Team Hawk prepare themselves for their first battle without Sasuke's guidance...


	15. Chapter 11: Attack Mode: Team Taka!

**Hi everybody! I promise I would update faster and here it is! **

**Here is Chapter 11!**

**There's a sweet and tender moment shared between two people...^_^**

**

* * *

**

**CHAPTER 11:**

Attack Mode: Team Taka!

Team Taka were in still in the forest, trying to go over the plan they had formed that could possibly beat the 'Bakudai'. Miyuki was leaning against a tree nearby them, listening to the conversation but she was also thinking about the conversation that she had with Suigetsu before they had got here. Her mind drifted into her own thoughts as she closed her eyes...

_~*~Four hours ago~*~_

_After everyone had finished burning their Akatsuki robes, Suigetsu grabs Miyuki by the hand and leads her back to the house that they were staying in. Miyuki didn't bother to try and fight her way out of this,_

_so she simply followed him. Karin and Jugo gave them a suspicious look but they pay no mind to it. Sasuke on the other hand decided to ask him what he was up to._

"_Suigetsu, what are you doing? And where are you taking Miyuki?" He questioned, trying not to be just a little curious and upset about what he plans to do._

"_Just give us ten minutes and we'll be right back."_

"_Ten minutes for what, Suigetsu?" Karin yelled as angry as an ox. "You're not gonna do anything perverted, are you?"_

_Suigetsu rolled his eyes, "Oh for the love of god, NO!" he raised his voice at the last word, which made both Karin and Miyuki jumped from the sudden tone._

"_I...just want to talk to her before we leave." Suigetsu answered and waves them off. "We'll be right back." he said and again as they continued to go back to the house._

"_What's the matter with him?" Karin adjusted her glasses. 'I hope he doesn't do anything stupid that he'll regret later...'_

_Once the two of them were inside, Suigetsu closed the door behind him. Miyuki was now scared of what he might do now that he knows the truth about her. She knew this day would come and she feared that things would never be the same between them again..._

"_Suigetsu-kun, I-" _

"_Miyuki, why didn't you tell me this from beginning?"_

_The blonde kunoichi gasped from the sudden tone in Suigetsu's voice. The lack of him calling her 'kitten' nearly scared her._

"_You thought we couldn't handle it? You thought **I **couldn't handle it?" he asked trying so hard not to scream and shout at her. _

_Miyuki could sense the anger in him and she had to figure out a way to calm him down. "No, Suigetsu-kun. That's not it at all."_

"_Well, what is it then? Because you're not telling me what I need to know!"_

"_I didn't want to do it. I really didn't...but I had to in order to complete my mission."_

"_So you lied to us in order to do so?" He yelled, his anger finally taking over._

_Miyuki cringed from his tone of voice. She had never seen him so angry before and it was scaring her._

_She wanted to say something back, but she couldn't find the words to do so and she lowered her head as her small blonde fringes covered her eyes. "You think I wanted to do this? You think I wanted to lie to you like this?"_

_Suigetsu's anger subsided temporarily from her voice._

"_Me and Nariko...we wanted to handle this on own but when my necklace glowed and you guys saw it, I had no choice but to tell you. I wished this never happened...I wish that tragedy never occurred ten years ago..."_

"_You don't like fighting period, don't you?" Suigetsu guessed and Miyuki answered him with a quick nod. 'A kunoichi who doesn't like to fight? What is she? A pacifist or something? What happened to her that made that way?'_

"_I don't like violence and bloodshed because it never solves anything and it was the very thing that killed my parents and ever since that day, I've tried to avoid confrontation and violence as much as I can." _

_Suigetsu raised an eyebrow from her explanation, "If that was the case, Miyuki, why didn't you tell us_

_that from the beginning?"_

"_Because you guys wouldn't have helped me. Let's be real, Suigetsu-kun. Who would of believed me if I told them that the world was going to be destroyed by an unknown force? Did you see the way Sasuke reacted when I first told you guys? He almost didn't believe me..."_

"_Hmmm, I see your point." Suigetsu guessed. "Still...I wish you would of told us something earlier and we probably would of helped you!"_

"_Suigetsu-kun, I..."The words froze in her mouth. She couldn't tell him that she had fallen for him. That would just make things even more complicated than they already were. "I'm sorry about all this and I hope this doesn't change our friendship!" She pleaded, hoping that Suigetsu wouldn't be too angry with her. _

_He walked up to her with his hand on his hip and looked at Miyuki with a puzzled look on his face. She is prepared for anything that may happen and she also knows that this could possibly ruin their friendship._

_Suigetsu was not one to get or remained angry over something he had no control over so he just laughed whole-heartedly at the blonde kunoichi. "Of course not! Don't be silly! I promise you that I'll protect you and defeat the 'Bakudai'!" He assured her but the sad expression on her face didn't falter. _

_Miyuki was quite certain that he wasn't taking this seriously at the moment. The 'Bakudai' are a dangerous group of rogue shinobi and they shouldn't be taken lightly but she was somewhat glad that he wasn't that upset with her anymore._

"_But...when the mission's over, we have to return back to our time." Miyuki answered sadly. She didn't want __to leave Suigetsu at all anymore. "Aren't you just a little upset?"_

"_Listen, Miyuki, I could care less about what time you came from or when you have to go back but __let's enjoy the time we do have with one another..."_

"_What do you mean, Suigetsu-kun..." she asked out of curiousity._

_Suigetsu used his thumb and curled index finger to lift up her chin. He gazed at her beautiful sky blue eyes as a light pink dust across her cheeks from his actions. Her lips quivered from Suigetsu's touch and anticipation..._

_'Is he...gonna...?' his face was getting dangerous close to her's and Miyuki was so relieved when Suigetsu had stopped half-way._

_His hand brushed away a blonde strand and he whispered, "I'm afraid we can't be friends anymore..."_

_Miyuki's heart suddenly dropped and she felt a dull ache. She knew this was gonna happen as she swallowed the lump that has formed in her throat. Her spirit was broken and so was the one thing that she had protected her entire life...her heart. It was all over..."I see...I understand." she said quietly._

_She turned away from him, not wanting her to show her tears in front of him. It would be too painful for him to see her like this. Then, she felt his strong arms hugged her from behind, pulling her closer until her back was pressed against his chest._

"_Because you and I...want to be more than that..."_

_Her eyes opened suddenly in surprised from his answer. She wasn't expecting that. "Suigetsu-kun, I thought that you-"_

"_You don't have to answer me right now but when the fighting is over, you can tell me your answer then...okay?" Suigetsu replied as he tighten his arms around her slender body. "Let me protect you..."_

"_Suigetsu-kun, stop joking. This isn't funny." Miyuki whispered. "You're not being serious..."_

"_But I am being serious. I want to be there by your side to fight and protect you and everyone else that I do care about. I wanna help you, Miyuki because I..." Suigetsu paused from what he was about to say __and realized that he almost said the "l" word._

_In that brief moment of silence, Suigetsu finally realized that he had truly loved this girl and he cared so much about her well being and safety. Telling her that now with all this happening will only make things difficult. _

"_As if I let something like this...change the bond that I have with you..."_

_Miyuki just stood there with wide eyes, completely shocked from Suigetsu's confession. He was really __willing to continue what they had. Suigetsu was not only thinking of himself but he was thinking of her and everyone else, too. _

"_Just...promise me something, kitten." Suigetsu said. "You have to tell me what happened when all of this is over and you can never lie to me again. I hate being deceived by people who I considered precious to me..."_

"_But Suigetsu-"_

"_Promise me, kitten. Right here and right now."_

_She had never liked talking about the past because it brought back too many painful memories but she also knew that keeping her emotions bottled in was not healthy. Maybe she really can talk to Suigetsu about her past to ease some of her pain..._

"_Okay, I promise..." Miyuki placed her hands on top of Suigetsu's, "But in return, you have to promise me that whatever decision that I make from now on, you won't judge me or try to stop me from doing what I think is right. No matter how difficult it may be..." she said._

_Suigetsu thought it and it was only fair if he did the same thing for her as she did for him. "All right. I promise." He finally answered and Miyuki turned around to hug him properly._

_'Thank you, Suigetsu-kun. Thank you so much...for giving me the strength to believe again...'_

From the memory, Miyuki couldn't help but smile from when she had made that promise. She wasn't sure it was something that she'll be able to keep, but that didn't mean that she wasn't going to try.

Miyuki grabbed her necklace from outside of her jacket and clutched it. She couldn't help but have a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach about fighting the 'Bakudai'. They didn't know what they facing and anything could happen in the battle.

"Kitten."

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she saw Suigetsu walking towards her. She stood up and dust off the dirt from her clothes. "Are you okay?" he asked with full concern.

"Suigetsu-kun...I'm fine. Really I am..." Miyuki smiled to reassured him but he can easily through her smile.

"No, you're not. Listen, everything is gonna be fine. We're gonna win. Trust me..." Suigetsu answered truthfully.

"Uhh...I really hate to break this up, Suigetsu." Karin interrupted. "But we have to be on our guard for anything suspicious. It would be best for our **leader** to pay attention to his surroundings!"

"Goddamn, Karin..." Suigetsu sneered. "You sure know how to ruin a moment, don't you?"

"Someone has to keep you in line during this whole ordeal. Sasuke trusted you to handle things and right now, you're not doing a good job at it!" Karin pointed out.

"What did you say?"

"Stop it, Suigetsu!" Jugo interjected, hoping that their argument would stop. "Karin, have you been able feel any chakra at all?"

Miyuki sighed. _'Are we really gonna be okay? Thank god Jugo is the voice of reason here...'_

"No, I can't feel any chakra at the moment, which is strange because being the sensory type ninja that I am, I should be able sense chakra from short to long-ranges. And because of it, I can't help but feel a little nervous about fighting them without knowing their strength and power." Karin explained.

"Oh good! That's just what we need to hear!" Suigetsu said with sarcasm. "If you were so worried about fighting them, why did you volunteer to do it in the first place? We wouldn't be in this predicament if it wasn't for your sentimentality!"

"Suigetsu, haven't you been paying attention to Sasuke lately?" Karin asked. "There is a reason why I did that!"

"What are you talking about, Karin-chan?" Miyuki asked with curiousity.

"Well, he probably didn't want us to know about the condition that he's in but lately, he hasn't been himself. He's been knocking things over and bumping into things, even when they're right in front of him. Don't you think that's just a little strange?"

"Where are you going with this?" Suigetsu asked.

"Think about it. That just didn't happened overnight. He started acting this way that after the battle with the Eight Tails...when he used his Amaterasu to defeat it."

"Wait a minute, are you saying that..." Jugo's voiced trailed off from Karin's explanation.

Karin's eyes softened from what Jugo was trying to say. "Yeah. Sasuke...he's losing his eyesight..."

Everyone was quiet from Karin's theory, especially Miyuki. The possibility of that being the case was very likely. Suigetsu was quite surprised from Karin's observation, "So that's why you said you wanted us to fight the 'Bakudai' without him..." he said, feeling a little sad about not understanding.

Karin nodded. "Yeah...He can't fight if he can't see, so it won't do him any good and it would worry us even more if he got hurt or worse..."

_'How can that be possible? Is is the Sharingan that's causing his eyes to deteriorate? My sister has it too but it has never affected her in that way. Father...he's suffering now even now even the real suffering hasn't even started yet...'_

Karin felt an intense surge of chakra heading towards them. "You guys, get out the way!"

Being quick, the others took heed of Karin's warning and dodged the large ball of energy that had its sights set on destroying them. When the energy ball had disappeared, someone was apparently standing in the blast wave of the attack. A woman wearing a platinum silver cloak with black-jointed circles on the back of it.

"It's her. She's one of the 'Bakudai'!" Miyuki exclaimed.

Now was the time for Suigetsu to show his leadership skills for the first time. "Is everyone clear on what we need to do?" He asked and one by one, each of his teammates gave him nod of agreement.

"Okay. Jugo, you take the right! Karin, you take the left! And Miyuki, you get behind me." Suigetsu ordered and they followed his direction and got into their positions respectively. "Team Taka! Attack Formation!"

"Hmm...Team Taka, huh? This should be fun..." She chided in amusement.

Miyuki's eyes widen the minute the woman spoked and she covered her mouth from shock with both of her hands. "That voice..." The woman's voice echoed in Miyuki's mind and she uttered, "S-Sensei...?"

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**The Man Behind The Cloak**

Nariko finally sees the man behind the cloak and she is shocked from who he is...


	16. Chapter 12: The Man Behind The Cloak

**All right, everyone! The battle is heating up and this is where it gets really good! ^_^**

**Here is chapter 12! Enjoy!**

* * *

CHAPTER 12

**The Man Behind The Cloak**

"It's you...But, it can't be...!"

Her eyes couldn't widen any further from what she had just seen. The man behind the cloak really took her by surprise. With the strength she had, Nariko focused on the man's features. The muscular structure on him was abnormal but not to the point of being inhuman and he was tall. He stood at a roughly 179.4 cm and had light gray hair and his bangs framed his face while the rest fell to the small of his back. Below his dark green eyes were visible creases, which in her opinion was a definite sign of aging. She quickly guessed that the man had to be in his early forties or possibly more. He was wearing a gray open jacket with rugged cut sleeves, pants of the same color with white bandages around his legs and gray sandals.

Her lips quivered from the shock and she uttered, "You're...M-Mizuki...!"

This man of all people, one of her parent's past enemies was now a member of the 'Bakudai'? She wasn't expecting this at all and yet...it seems so fitting for this situation.

"Oh ho, so you know who I am." Mizuki laughed. "You're even smarter than I give you credit for!"

"You monster! You're...you're suppose to be in prison." Nariko growled and she took a step back. "How are you even here right now?"

"The leader of the Bakudai Syndicate freed me from that horrid jail and took me under his wing. He said he needed someone who would show no mercy to his opponents and I gladly accepted his offer..."

"What's in it for you?" She said clearly pissed off. "I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't do anything like this if there wasn't something to gain from it!"

"It's simple, Sharingan princess. In exchange for working under him, he will give me the awaited pleasure that I've longed to have from many years ago..."

"And what is that?"

From what Mizuki has told her, Nariko's anger was reaching a breaking point and wouldn't be take much for her to snap and throw all common sense out the window and try to eradicate him.

"To have the sheer enjoyment...of killing Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine Tails demon!" He answered with malice and hatred. "Your father!"

That was the last and final straw...

"**YOU...YOU...YOU SON OF A BITCH!**" Nariko made an effort to go after him with her raw strength but she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest and her body went taut...

* * *

"Nariko-chan!" yelled Sakura. "Where are you?"

Naruto, Sakura, Kiba with Akamaru, and Hinata were still traveling in the forest. Jumping from branch to branch, they still haven't reach the borderline to Konoha Forest yet. The good news was that they were making good time; the bad news was that they still couldn't lock onto Nariko's chakra signature.

"Ohh, man. This is bad..." Kiba announced. "This is really bad...If we don't find her soon, Nariko-san is gonna be done for!"

"Hinata, how's everything on you end? Have you been able to find anything?" Asked Sakura, hoping that a bit good news will come from her.

Hinata shook her head. "No, I haven't been able to pick up her chakra, either. Sorry, Sakura-san..."

Naruto sucked his teeth in aggravation. He was getting worried because couldn't pick up her chakra essence or anything for that matter. Wasn't there anything he could do? 'Nariko, please be all right...'

With that set in mind, Naruto doubled his efforts and increased his speed on his running and the others followed his lead and they sped up as well.

* * *

Nariko slumped to her knees and crossed her arms around her chest, coughing up small driplets of blood and taking short breaths. _'What in the...what in the hell is this...?'_ The tightness was becoming worse with every breath she took and she was having a hard time breathing properly. "You bastard! What have you done to me?"

Mizuki's grin turned even more sinister as he dispersed his chakra infused sword. "I see that the paralysis is starting to take effect on you. I focused the technique precisely on your lungs..."

The kunoichi looked up him with fear of what he was saying.

"You won't last no more than ten minutes before you die of suffocation."

"What?" Nariko gasped.

Mizuki laughed wickedly at her suspense. He was clearly enjoying watching the kunoichi suffer.

"They're only two ways to break this jutsu. The first way is for the target to overcome it by themselves. But that's only possible for someone who has a very strong shinobi spirit or will power. In your case, it almost impossible because of the strength it has on the target's body. The second way...is for the one who cast the technique to die. In other words, unless you kill me, then you'll die..."

Nariko grasped unto her throat and she was now coughing up small driplets of blood on the grassy plain. _'When...when did he do this...?'_

Then she remembered her very first encounter with him and it dawned on her. _'When he threw the kunai __knife with the explosive note? It must have had anesthetic serum embedded in that smoke!'_

"It seems that you figured it out, Sharingan Princess. So what are you going to do now? Are you really going to let yourself die in such an unsightly way? Death by suffocation won't be a pretty sight for a girl such as yourself..."

"**YOU...ASSHOLE!**" Nariko hollered. She tried to attack him but he caught her by the throat and suspended her up in the air. She tried to wriggle herself free from him however she was not able to do so on account of her lungs began to ache with unbearable pain. The airways in her lungs were starting to close up on her and breathing became even more difficult for her.

"I will say this though, Sharingan princess. You lasted longer than I thought you would. At least you get the honor of me giving you a death fitting for a shinobi..."

Nariko's Sharingan had receded from her eyes and she tried her hardest not to let out any tears from the grip Mizuki had on her throat. _'I-I can't...get away from him. Damn it...At the rate I'm going...Oh no... I'm losing consciousness...'_ She felt her eyes becoming heavier by every passing second but she forced herself to keep them opened. _'Am I really gonna die...like this?'_ Her mind finally admits defeat and she falls into unconsciousness...

_Under a red pillar of light, Nariko slowly drifts deeper and deeper into the darkness...'What am I gonna do? I came so far...just to fail. I know I'm stronger than this!'_

_"Nariko." A voice called out to her. "Nariko..."_

_"Who..." She checked her surroundings and she seen nothing but red specks of light. Nariko realized that the voice was that of a man. "Who's...calling me?"_

_"Just feel it. You have the power within you. It's up to you..."_

_"Who are you?" Nariko asked again and she felt something being placed on her shoulder, making her turn around in an instant to see who it was but she easily recognized the man's voice._

_"Father?" She said in disbelief as tears formed in her dark coal eyes. "Is it really you?"_

_"That can't be all the power that you have, Nariko." Sasuke told her. "The battle is not over yet. Have you really lost faith in your dream to give up on it so easily?"_

_"My...dream?" Nariko questioned as she backed away, giving herself some space._

_"That's right. By making it this far, you relied on your dream and sheer will power alone. I'm proud of you and your sister, Miyuki. Now is not the time to fall in despair. Don't you want to see the world that use to have before the tragedy?"_

_What kind of question was that? She wouldn't be doing this if she didn't want that. "Of course I do!"_

_"Then go back there and show the asshole what you're made of, Nariko. You got my blood and Naruto's blood running through your veins, don't you? Why have the power and skill if you won't use it?"_

_"Do you...do you really believe I can do it?"_

_"Yes I do...because, you're an Uchiha and you are mine and Naruto's daughter..." He answered without hesitation as Sasuke's voice gradually disappeared and Nariko's fortitude grew just from her father's brave words of encouragement._

_'My father is right...I can do it and it's because...'_

_'I can't...afford to lose!'_ And she unleashed an ear piercing war cry, demolishing the technique from its endeavor.

Nariko opened one eye and the power behind her Sharingan had been revived from the paralysis. The tomoes in her eyes spun so wildly to the point that it had formed a diamond around the iris of her eyes.

_'W-What? She broke out of my paralysis technique...?'_

With the strength that she has, Nariko raised her right arm and her elbow connects viciously to Mizuki's elbow but he doesn't budge. Determination had set in and she continued her assault on his elbow, while he forged ahead to grip her throat to immobilize her from doing anything else. Nariko carried on with all her might to free herself from his grasp and with one final elbow strike, Mizuki howled in pain from the aggression as she was finally able to get away from him.

Nariko's breathing was returning back to normal as she dashed forward and grabbed him by his arm. She ran as she hauled him along and with her recovered strength, she flung him over her shoulders and she sent him flying into a tree. Mizuki landed back first on the tree, snapping it like a twig and he slowly slid down from it, obtaining several scratches and bruises from the wood's bark and splinters-the first battle damage he has received during the struggle with the kunoichi. Some of the cuts on him had blood seeping through them and the joint in his elbow has been crushed from Nariko's assault and it also suffered several torn ligaments.

Mizuki managed to sit up from the now destroyed tree and growled furiously at the girl in front of him. "How...how did you...break the paralysis I had on you...?"

She slowly wiped away the blood away from her sealed lips that had stained her chin from earlier. "You just don't get it, do you? It's going to take...a lot more than that...to beat me." Nariko said through labored breaths.

"That still doesn't explain how you diminished my technique I had on you!" Mizuki hollered in vexation.

After a while, she finally answered his question. "My dream...and my father is what saved me..."

"Huh?"

"My dream is to be able to save my world and reverse the horrible tragedy that took the lives of many people ten years ago, including my family. My dream is the only thing that I have left in life to strive for...and I truly believe that I can make it a reality if I keep fighting for the sake of others. Of course to people like you and the 'Bakudai' who feeds off the hatred and destruction of others, that is something you can never understand..."

"Heh. You're still going on and on about how you're going save your world from total destruction? You want to continue struggling until you die a slow painful death? You're a fool..."

Nariko slipped her hand inside her dress and pulled out her crystal necklace. "You're right. I may be a fool...but I'm a fool who doesn't know when to give up."

She forcibly hacked the necklace off from around her neck. "But that's not the only thing that's driven me to this point..." The small crystal itself shattered and the chakra from inside it was gradually growing bigger. "My hatred towards the 'Bakudai'...is what made me...the woman I am today."

After much struggling, Mizuki managed to rise up and faced the young girl and he couldn't help but smile a sinister grin at her. "As if you weren't enough trouble as it is..."

The chakra in her hand had stopped growing and she brought close to her chest, slowly slipping inside her body. "You will not leave here unscathed, Mizuki... The only way you will be able to leave from here...is if you die..."

"Naien: Kaihou!"[(内炎:放免Inner Flame: Release)] Nariko formed the sign of the Tiger.

The extreme high level chakra emitting from Nariko's body caused her clothes to melt away. A warm red light wrapped around her form and her body started to lift up from off the ground. "I suppose I should thank you...because I've been dying to get out of this fucking dress..."

_'Shit...what the hell is that? Is that a ninjutsu? Or a genjutsu?'_

Nariko's hair floats up and a long white cloth ties around her head, forming her hair into high ponytail while the Leaf symbol carves itself on the front of her bandana. She lifts her arms up and burning fiery currents forms her new arm guards, fire flows down to her legs to create her new sandals, and fire sparks circulate around her body to form her outfit. After the chakra calms down from his high, Nariko slowly falls back on the ground, landing on her feet.

Mizuki stared at Nariko, completely flabbergasted by her power. _'Her body...she's no longer suffering from her injuries. How can a person like her possess that kind of chakra? Is it the Nine Tails' chakra?'_

Nariko was wearing her white forehead protector like a bandana with her hair in a high ponytail. The bandana ribbon is tied around her ponytail to keep it in place. She is wearing an open white karate, no-sleeves shirt with a raised collar with navy blue lining around the hems that stops at her hips and a light blue belt around her waist. Underneath her white shirt, she wears a tight body suit that navy blue that is also sleeveless that stops to her thighs. She also wears black wrist to above elbow arm guards and knee high shinobi sandals with thigh high stockings. On the back of her shirt is a red swirl and a Uchiha fan combined together as one symbol.

"I'm going to kill you...if it's the last thing I do..." She opened her eyes to revealed to Mizuki her new power and newly awakened dojutsu, the 'Prism Sharingan'...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next special chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**The Broken Promise**

Team Take give it their all during the battle and Miyuki's heart slowly begins to crack...


	17. Chapter 13: The Broken Promise

**All right, everyone!**

**This is where the battle gets REALLY good!**

**It's Team Taka's turn now! Enjoy Chapter 13!**

* * *

CHAPTER 13

**The Broken Promise**

"It's been a long time, Miyuki..." Said the woman clad in the silver cloak. "You've really grown..."

When Miyuki uttered the word "sensei", her three teammates looked at her with a look of confusion. It didn't take them long to realized what she had said. Words could not described how Miyuki was feeling at that moment as she looked at the woman in front of her.

Suigetsu was the first to say something. "S-Sensei...?" he asked and turned his attention back to the female opponent in front of them.

"Miyuki-san, what's wrong?" Jugo asked, concerned about the younger kunoichi.

"Do you know her?" Karin inquired. _'I sense an evil chakra buried deep within this woman...'_

Miyuki stood there frozen. She was so shock to the point that she couldn't do anything but shake her head in disbelief. _'Please...please don't...'_

"If this woman you claim is your sensei and she's with the 'Bakudai', then we have no choice..." Suigetsu stated as he pulled out his Throat Clever from off his back.

Miyuki realized what Suigetsu was about to do and she jumped in front of her with her arms spread apart. "Wait! This has to be a mistake or a genjutsu of some sort! Let me talk to her!"

"Kitten, this woman seems really dangerous." Suigetsu interjected. "I don't really think talking to her is gonna help this situation."

"Suigetsu-kun, please!" Miyuki begged, her eyes imploring him not to do anything. "Let me try!"

His eyes soften from her pleading and he remembered the promise that he made to her.

"But your heart is still as soft as ever..." The woman said loud enough to get everyone's attention and she took off her silver robe.

The woman stood at 169.0 cm and she had fair skin and dark brown eyes. Her dark purple hair with small bangs was tapered to a point under her chin and a long strand hung loose on the left side. She was wearing a short-sleeve mesh shirt and a black top that wrapped around her bust with baggy dark brown crop pants. She was also wearing dark brown gloves.

_'Ami-sensei, I knew it...'_ This action prompted her to at least try and talk some sense into Ami, even though Suigetsu deemed it hopeless.

Miyuki started walking towards her sensei, taking slow steps. "Sensei, how is it even possible? How are you even standing before me like this?" She couldn't help but think was this a cruel genjutsu being cast on them by the 'Bakudai' but that theory was thrown out the window because she was standing right before her, looking alive and well. _'You're...you're suppose to be dead...!'_

"Hmph!" Ami just smiled evilly at her student's futile efforts and Miyuki stopped several feet in front of her, having equal distance between her friends and her teacher.

_'Something's not right...'_ Karin thought as she had her hand above her shuriken holster just in case something was to happen.

"Ami-sensei, please stop this! This isn't you, I know it isn't! Snap out of it!" Miyuki said and reached out a hand towards her sensei, hoping to get through to her. "Please..."

There was an uncomfortable silence in the grassy plain of the battlefield as the leaves from the trees rustled in the wind.

As quick as lightning, Ami was face to face in front of the blonde kunoichi with an evil grin. What Miyuki seen in her eyes of the taller woman wasn't the kindness she saw in her when she was a child. What she saw was nothing but pure evil. Team Taka couldn't believe the level of speed that Ami possessed in her transportation jutsu. Her speed could almost rival that of Sasuke's.

Ami raised her left arm. "Be quiet..." Were her last words before she slapped Miyuki across the face with the back of her gloved hand; her head swung to the side from the impact of the hit, sending Miyuki flying backwards towards her friends.

"Kitten! / Miyuki-chan! / Miyuki-san!" Team Taka yelled and Suigetsu ran between his friends and barely caught the young girl in his arms.

"Are you okay?" Suigetsu asked as he saw Miyuki's left cheek started to swell, turning a dark red color.

"Sensei..." Miyuki pleaded again, wincing from the sudden pain on her face.

_'Her speed is unbelievable! How are we suppose to fight her...?'_ Jugo looked at the woman with cold glare.

Well that plan didn't work and Karin's blood boiled from the sight of what just happened. All she wanted to do now...was to beat the living daylights out of her. "Don't mess with us, you bitch!"

She dashed forward to try and gain momentum and strength to attack Ami with a basic front kick but she dodged it easily by ducking. No sooner than that, Ami attacked with a straight punch which Karin blocked and countered it with a with a low and reversal kick. Unfortunately for her, Ami dodged both of those moves as well.

Ami backed away from her as Karin pulled out three kunai knives between her fingers. She threw them with precise aim to pierce Ami's skull but she caught one of the two kunais thrown and flicked it towards the third kunai coming, canceling the attack out. Karin wasn't about to give up. She was determined to win this fight and that's what she was going to do.

Determined to win this fight for Team Taka, Karin gave it one last shot and charged ahead once again. She attacked Ami with a front kick with her left leg this time, but she missed once again. Ami blocked Karin's backhand and straight punch and the two kunoichi's legs rose up to kick the other but their legs met simultaneously and both attacks created a counterbalance.

Being quicker than her last attempts, Karin danced around her and tried a left hook and a right hand slap, however Ami evaded those and countered with a set of punches. Ami noticed that Karin smirked as she faked the right punch and went with a hard left punch, which connected with her stomach and made her choke on her own saliva.

_'Now's my chance!'_ Karin slipped her hand inside the sleeve of her jacket and pulled out an huge explosive note, preparing to slap Ami in the face with it point blank range that is suppose to explode on contact after an interval of five seconds.

"Take this!" Karin yelled, hoping that this move will kill her and declare her the victor of this battle.

At the very last second, Ami recovered from the attack and jumped just above Karin's arm to balanced herself on it, dodging the explosive note.

_'Shit...!'_ Karin's eyes widen as she had missed her yet again.

"Talk about pitiful..." Ami said, shaking her head in disappointment. "I thought you would be stronger than that but I guess sensory-type ninja could only do so much."

Red eyes widen in fear from what she said and it wasn't even a second later before she realized that Ami struck her in the neck with a chakra-infused kick, sending her flying into the ground headfirst and losing her brown glasses.

"You call yourself a kunoichi with those basic moves? It's gonna take more than that to take me down!" Ami gloated as she watched the red-haired kunoichi skidded on the grass, dirtying up her clothes and receiving scratches on her legs.

"Karin-chan!" Miyuki cried from the battlefield and rushed over to help her. When she got to her and examined her, Karin was holding the back of her neck from the left side as she winced in pain. _'Oh, no! She went for the nerves in her neck...!'_

Dropping to her knees next to Karin, she placed one of her hands on her neck and it softly glowed green as she started the healing process. _'She's suffering from a small cervical fracture. It's nothing serious so she should be fine...'_

Suigetsu sucked his teeth in irritation. _'Karin is out of it...That damn woman...! Why did she have to jump into the fray like that?'_

"With an attack like that, she won't be getting up anytime soon..." Ami said with a sinister grin. "I am surprised that she can even move at all. I give her credit for at least trying...even though it was useless!"

Miyuki's heart was breaking in two and she gripped her fist in anger from the horrible turn of events. _'Ami-sensei...!'_

"Why you...!" Suigetsu growled maliciously and tighten the grip he had on his weapon. "Screw this! I'm taking her out!" With that being said, he went ahead full force with the Throat Clever in his hand and Jugo followed him as he partially activated his Curse Seal, ready to take her down.

"Jugo-san, Suigetsu-kun, don't!" Miyuki cried after him and Karin whimpered in pain, trying to sit up and this caught her attention. "Karin-chan, please don't move just yet!"

"Those two...they can't win, Miyuki..." Karin said in despair. "We can't win this fight!"

Miyuki looked on to see how the two guys were fairing against her. Suigetsu had used his Hydration Technique and swung at Ami with force enough to slice her in two multiple times and Jugo used his speed and strength to aid Suigetsu in this fight. All in all, everything seem to be all right for now...

"What do you mean?" Miyuki finally managed to asked.

"You see, Jugo has the Curse Seal, which increases their speed and power when it's activated and because he is the origin of the Curse Seal, he is able to use its power to its full extent without it eroding his body. But it wasn't until recently when I discovered that the Curse Seals not only increased a person strength but it also has chakra natures embedded in it. Jugo's seal has earth chakra embedded in it, so his attacks probably won't have any effect of her!"

"What?" Miyuki said in shock and a bone crushing sound interrupted her train of thoughts as she seen Jugo get slammed down hard into the ground, knocking him out. Karin had predicted right on the balance of power.

Suigetsu couldn't take this anymore. She had hurt Karin and now Jugo? At this point, he didn't care who Ami was to Miyuki in the past anymore. In order for everyone to make it out of this battle alive, he was gonna have take extreme measures and kill Ami right now.

"What about Suigetsu-kun?" She was almost afraid to ask that question. Things were not looking good for them and Miyuki can sense that. "How would he fair against her?"

"Suigetsu is a former water ninja from Kirigakure and because of it, Suigetsu is able to reduce himself to liquid form and to return to his bodily form at will. He can change his body shape, giving him the ability to increase the size of his limbs and increasing his strength if necessary. Also, he is capable of merging with already existing water to increase his attack power but that won't help us since there is no water around here..."

Miyuki glanced back over to the fighting, which Ami was now blocking Suigetsu's Throat Cleaver attack with her hands. "You little...!" He seethed, adding extra pressure into breaking her defense.

"And being the idiotic fool that he is, he will try to fight her anyway despite the fact that he knows he can't win! I not gonna lie to you, Miyuki-chan. I saw this for myself during one of our previous fights. The good thing is taijutsu and weapons are useless against him but the bad thing is..." Karin winced in pain, managing to make herself stand up.

Miyuki gulped hard, waiting for Karin to finish up her statement. "...he is weak against lightning-based attacks..."

The blonde widen her eyes in fear from what she just heard. As soon as Karin said that, Suigetsu was struck hard with Ami's lighting-based whip, electrocuting his entire body as he screamed in excruciating pain.

"**SUIGETSU-KUN!**" Miyuki cried when she saw what happened to him.

"And I'm not about to sit here and let him get himself killed!" And Karin ran after her one last time. She pulled out two kunai knives, both of them had at least ten explosive notes attached to them and she was even more determined than she was the first time. "Die!"

"What?" Ami said when she heard Karin's voice and then the red-haired kunoichi jumped in the air and threw the kunai at her. They exploded on contact but Ami burst through the smoke with several scratches and lacerations.

"You little bitch!" Ami screeched in anger.

Karin noticed that she was in danger and she tried her to get away but Ami's whip captured her before she had the chance to do anything. She swung Karin's body around several times before slamming her body into Suigetsu, making both them collide with the ground next to Jugo who was still unconscious.

Miyuki's anger was reaching a breaking point and it wouldn't be long before she finally let her anger go. She promised herself and Nariko that she wouldn't use that power for any reason. She knew that but now it had came down to this..."Damn it...!" She said with malice, swearing for the first time in her life.

"Raiton: Shougekiha!" [雷遁:衝撃波 (Lightning Release: Shock Wave)]

Ami produced three orbs of lightning energy in her hands. "It's been fun while it lasted but it's time to put an end to this!"

Suigetsu and Karin were having their final thoughts as they waited for their deaths to come. They felt terrible about how they were going to take care of things and in the end, broke their promise to Sasuke. Their only option now...was to die honorably on the battlefield. It was the least they could do...

Karin tried desperately to hold back her silent sobs but that was impossible for her to do. _'It's all over...'_

Suigetsu gritted his sharp teeth in anger. _'Sasuke...Miyuki...I'm sorry...I couldn't keep my promise...'_

"DIE!" Ami pointed the attack in front of her and released her attack towards them with intense speeds.

_'__**I WON'T LET HER HURT THEM ANYMORE!**__'_

At that very moment, it felt like time had slowed down while the lightning attack was steadily closing in on Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo. They closed their eyes in defeat and braced themselves for the final attack that would send them to the world of hell and suffering for their deeds.

A single green leaf floats in the air and gusts of wind blows it away as the sound of dashing footsteps in the grass could be heard from the distance...

"Chakura Shouheki!" [チャクラ難関 (Chakra Barrier)]

When the lightning attack didn't come, Suigetsu and Karin opened their eyes before they widen in surprise to see who or what it was that saved them. A transparent, circular barrier was surrounding them and the attack was being held off by it. They were even more surprised when they realized who was the one responsible for protecting them, especially Suigetsu.

Standing over him was Miyuki, steadily staving off the lightning attack and holding the barrier in place.

_'She's holding off my technique...but that's not possible!'_ Ami thought as she studied the blonde kunoichi. _'I don't remember her ever knowing such a technique. How is she able to do that?'_

After a few more seconds, the attack completely disappeared and Miyuki dispelled the technique. Miyuki looked over her shoulder and she gave her friends a concern look. "Are you guys okay?"

The two of them were too shocked to say anything at the moment so they just gave her a slow nod. Suigetsu was the first to speak. "Miyuki, how did you...Why did you..." He had so many questions to ask her and his mind was still trying to register all of the events of what had happened earlier.

Miyuki looked over at her former sensei and she gave her a cold glare. Ami was a bit taken aback from her student's sudden glare. Her eyes was now filled with hate and disappointment for her teacher's actions. Her former sensei was now a villain and her friends were now aching from the bruises and scars they've received from her. At that moment, Miyuki realized that the battle between them and the 'Bakudai' just became personal and this was something that **SHE** would have to care of...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next special chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**Miyuki Ablaze!**

With fury as her new found strength, Miyuki vows to protect her friends and unleashes her powers...


	18. Chapter 14: Miyuki Ablaze!

**Hi everyone! Just wanted to Happy New Year to all those who read my story up to this point!**

**Sorry I took so long to update! Here is Chapter 14! ^_^**

* * *

CHAPTER 14

**Miyuki Ablaze!**

The blonde's hands clenched closed into tight fists as an unspeakable rage began to fuel her heart with anger. Her eyes weren't her usual clear and bright blue ones that she always had; they were glazed over with pure hatred and detest, which shocked both Ami and Karin. The look she had was a full on glare of hatred and unforgiveness and Suigetsu had noticed the change in the blonde's eyes. That was when he realized that she resembled Sasuke with that deadly glare plastered on her face. It was something he never thought he would see on her and he could feel the intensity behind them.

Without saying a word, Miyuki did the following hand seals: MONKEY, DOG, RAM. After performing each seal correctly, her hands started to give off a light green aura.

"Kousen Ijutsu!"[光線医術 (Light Ray Healing Arts)]

The chakra in her hands formed into a ball and she tossed it above the heads of her hurt team members. The ball separated into three spheres and they entered inside of them, giving them a light body aura glow while the jutsu starts healing their bodies from the inside. Suigetsu and Karin could feel their wounds starting to heal almost instantly but Jugo was still unconscious. Hopefully, he would wake up when the jutsu is finished.

"That should heal your wounds for the time being. It's a slow process so I just suggest not to do any strenuous moving and Jugo should wake up when the jutsu is halfway finished." Miyuki explained.

"I'm gonna do what I have to do..." Miyuki said and she pulled out her necklace from underneath her jacket. "I have to try and defeat her if we ever want to catch up with Sasuke..."

_'The tone in her voice has changed...'_ Karin noted in her mind. _'Is she really going to do this? Fight against her own sensei...?'_

Hearing this, Suigetsu knew what she was about to do next but if Miyuki were to fight her unwilling, then there was no doubt that Ami would kill her in battle and he was not having that. Miyuki stood up from her position, slowly making her way over to face her opponent, but a hand grabbed her left wrist, ceasing her from going any further. There was no need for her to look at the person who had her wrist since she already knew who it was. "Let me go, Suigetsu-kun..."

"Miyuki, I can't let you do this. I refuse to let that woman hurt you like she did us." Suigetsu gripped her wrist tighter to restrain her. "You don't have to do this! Let us handle it!"

Miyuki shook his head in protest. "Suigetsu-kun, if I don't at least try, then I will break my promise that made to you and to myself."

"Kitten, you told me that you didn't like fighting and violence of any kind, didn't you? And that you didn't like bloodshed! If you do this, you'll be doing the very thing you forbade yourself from doing!"

Miyuki doesn't say anything.

She smiled from what he was saying because she knew how worried he was about her safety, but she couldn't just sit and watch this battle continue without trying to help them. If anyone had to take care of this so they can make it out alive, then it would have to be her.

Miyuki sighed. "Suigetsu-kun, do you remember the promise that I made to you?"

"What is she talking about, Suigetsu?" Karin asked but Suigetsu doesn't answer her. He just continued to look at the girl who was standing in front of him. Hearing her say those words made him remember what the two of them promised to each other right before this battle took place.

_'Whatever decision that I make from now on, you won't judge me or try to stop me from doing what I think is right. No matter how difficult it may be...'_

Suigetsu smirked and shook his head in defeat, knowing that Miyuki was not gonna change her mind about fighting Ami. "What kind of man am I? Letting a girl fight a battle for me. This is so pitiful..."

The only thing he could do is believe in her and hope that the worst doesn't happen. Miyuki kneeled down to his level and she winked at him. "You're someone who understands me...and someone who is very precious to me..."

Suigetsu blinked twice as he felt the familiar warmth on his cheeks.

"You gave me the strength to believe in myself again and because of that, I want to fight to protect you guys. So just stay back and let me do the rest and I'll take care of things from here on out..."

"Miyuki..." Suigetsu really didn't want her to fight if she didn't want to but she made that decision on her own. He had let go of Miyuki's wrist and she slowly made her way to face her opponent as he dug his fist into the grass. _'Miyuki, I hope you know what you're doing...'_

"Sensei, I can't forgive you for what you've done. I made a promise to my sister and myself to only use this power when it was absolutely necessary. I never thought I would have to fight one of you this earlier and I never thought that I would have to fight one of my own teachers, but seeing Team Taka fight with all of their might to help Sasuke protect Naruto...I can't just sit by and watch anymore..." She stated as she hacked the necklace off from around her neck.

The pendant from her necklace began to float in her hands as she started to focus her mind and chakra. It glowed a strange aura of power from it while the power that was lying dormant inside the small crystal was now starting to release itself from its prison. The crystal shattered, forming a orb of chakra. That power transformed itself into pure energy and it entered inside Miyuki's body, radiating sapphire blue energy, she opened her eyes and stared at her former sensei with a cold glare. The chakra in her feet began to levitate her up off the ground.

"Fuuryoku: Kaihou!" [風力: 放免(Wind Power: Release)]

A brilliant bright light surrounded her body, covering most of her body with its warm essence. The light was temporary blinding the other shinobi around the battlefield as Miyuki's clothes melted away from the immense levels of chakra from the technique.

A curious Suigetsu cracked open one eye to witness what was happening to her.

Miyuki raised her left hand as a flash of yellow chakra formed her glove, then she does the same thing with her right hand and chakra formed the other glove. She twirled around while the chakra circled up her body from the feet to the head, materializing her outfit.

Ami and everyone else continued to shield their eyes from the intense light. "Wh-What's going on?" she asked herself.

The Leaf symbol engraved itself on Miyuki's forehead, making the metal plate along with the cloth and the long bandana strands as she tied it around her head.

After a while, the light died down from the area down and Miyuki landed gently on the ground. Suigetsu was the first to unshield his eyes to see if Miyuki was all right but when he opened them, he saw her in a new light. In his opinion, she was completely different in his eyes...

"Miyuki-chan, you are..." Karin whispered in shock.

Strong surges of blue chakra glowed around her clenched fists and she opened her eyes. "Even if it means I have to kill you in the process, I promise that I will protect those who matter to me..." she declared as she stood in front of her friends as a brave kunoichi and a new young woman and as the wind flowed gracefully through the golden strands in her hair.

Her pretty blue eyes were now filled with the desires and determination to protect her friends on the battlefield and Suigetsu, the one that she secretly loved more than her own life itself.

_'Miyuki?'_ Karin thought with wide eyes. _'That's Miyuki...?'_

Suigetsu and Karin continued to gaze at the blonde kunoichi, taking in her new look and noticeable features.

Miyuki was now wearing a light orange, semi-tight shirt with black lining around the hems and a sleeveless black high collar embroidered open jacket with black shorts. She is also wearing black fingerless gloves, fishnets on her elbows and knees, and normal shinobi sandals. Her black forehead protector is worn on her forehead like a bandana with her hair loose in the back and on the back of her vest is a red swirl and a red and white fan combined together as one symbol. Her lean, well-toned muscles in her upper arms and her shapely legs that were always hidden under her clothes were clearly visible now.

Miyuki turned the body to the side to present a smaller target, slightly bending her knees for balance and agility, her feet shoulder width apart, and her hands up in fists.

"Ami-sensei, let's fight." Her chakra infused into her fists and her legs. She was serious now.

Ami smirked at her former student enthusiasm and she couldn't help but feel excited about fighting her. She hasn't fought her since Miyuki was 12 and a genin in training, so it will be a real challenge to see how far she had developed her skills after four years. "Let's test the waters, shall we?" she said with a hint of anticipation.

"Raiton: Chirasuheki!" [(Lightning Release: Scatterburst!)]

Ami drove her fist into the ground and bursts of lightning crackled on the ground, splitting into multiple bolts of lightning. Miyuki ascended ahead as fast as she could and she jumped into the air, performing a somersault forward with one of her legs outstretched.

"Mikazuki Nami!" [(三日月 Crescent Moon Wave)]

Slamming her leg into the ground from an open leg split, the force from the attack fires an boomerang-shaped, yellow transparent energy wave at Ami in high speeds on a full-fledged collision course. The two attacks collided, pushing against each other hoping to cancel the other out. After a while, both attacks were diminished.

"Whoa..." Was Karin's only reply.

"Amazing...Her balance and agility are exceptional for a kunoichi." Suigetsu said with praise and then he smirked a devious grin. _'Damn, that's hot...! Talk about flexibility!'_

"Her chakra level...is off the scale..." Karin said astonished. She had never felt a chakra level at such an high intensity before, especially from one person. She hasn't felt a chakra level this immense since their near-death struggle against the Eight Tails, even though Miyuki's chakra level was far from it.

"Is that Miyuki-san? A voice asked. Suigetsu and Karin looked down and it was Jugo, who was trying to sit up from being unconscious.

Karin smiled when she saw Jugo coming around. "Jugo! You're okay!"

"Jugo, are you all right?" Suigetsu asked, concerned for his fallen teammate. As leader, he could rest rest easy knowing that everyone was all right. "That attack from earlier must of hurt pretty badly."

"I'll be fine..." Jugo answered. "But more importantly, what has happened to her? Her chakra level is..."

"I know. It's unreal..." Suigetsu finished. _'I had no idea that she had this kind of power...'_

Karin did her part for the team and analyzed the situation. "It's true that her chakra level is through the roof right now, but I don't think she will be able to sustain it for a long period of time..."

"Suigetsu, Miyuki can't fight her." Jugo explained. "Call her back over here right now!"

"No."

Jugo and Karin turned him in disagreement and she was the first to say something."What do you mean 'no'?"

"Miyuki made a promise to herself and she wants to prove that she can keep that promise..." Suigetsu simply said.

"Promise?" Jugo asked in confusion. He didn't know what Suigetsu was talking about on account of he was unconscious from earlier.

_"You gave me the strength to believe in myself again and because of that, I want to fight to protect you guys. So just stay back and let me do the rest and I'll take care of things from here on out..."_

Suigetsu grinned from remembering her words once again. "As acting leader, we have to put our faith in Miyuki's hands now. I believe in her and you guys should do the same..."

_'Her lightning techniques have improved even more. Nothing less from Ami-sensei...It will be very difficult to break through her pattern of attack but I have to try!'_

Miyuki charged forward and she started things off with a normal punch, but Ami blocked using the lightning as a shield. Not giving up, Miyuki tried a series of punches from uppercuts, straight hooks, and even double axles and it still didn't do anything. And for one more final attempt, she tried an elbow attack but it just bounced right off. Suigetsu was now worried about this situation.

"This isn't good at all..." He pointed out as he continued to watch her fight against Ami. "Miyuki's attacks aren't working!"

"I'm afraid those physical attacks won't have any affect on Ami." Jugo stated.

Suigetsu glanced over at Jugo from what he said. "What do you mean it won't have any affect?"

"Despite of how much energy she puts into each attack, Ami's lightning will block it every time. If Miyuki wants to break the defense that she has, then she will have to cut through it. It's her only option." Karin explained.

"Cut through it?" Suigetsu inquired, trying to figure out what Karin meant by what she said. "How is she suppose to do that?"

Back to the battle, Miyuki had dodged a bolt lightning by jumping up, but Ami used her lightning whip and caught Miyuki by her leg. Spinning her around, she slammed Miyuki back first into a nearby boulder, falling flat on the grass. She was struggling to stand up from the impact.

"Miyuki-chan, look out!" Karin warned.

Panic and fear had set in, Miyuki was so paralyzed with fright that she couldn't even move. She saw the lightning coming down from the sky in a swift speed and she prepared herself for the attack to pierce through her body...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next special chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**Power Of The Prism Sharingan**

Nariko unleashes her new ocular powers on Mizuki for the first time in six years...


	19. Chapter 15: Power of The Prism Sharingan

CHAPTER 15

**Power Of The Prism Sharingan**

Mizuki, the man who **_had_** the upper hand in this prolonged battle was now second guessing himself about his strength. He looked over at the young raven that was standing in front of him with hatred burning in her blue coal eyes. How was he suppose to fight against her now that the Sharingan had been revived? And what secrets lie within the new Sharingan that he was seeing for the first time?

Nariko stood where she was and noticed how Mizuki was staring at her. She smirked in satisfaction when she saw what was clearly visible in the man's eyes: fear. The so-called proud shinobi was now afraid of her? He should be afraid of her, because he had pushed her to the limit by talking ill about her Dad. Now that this particular dojutsu was released, there was going to be bloodshed and someone was definitely going to die. It was six years ago when she last used this Sharingan and she was going to kill Mizuki with it.

Shaking away the fear, Mizuki summoned the flame sword and gripped it tightly. "You're badly injured, Sharingan Princess. Tell me. Can you honestly fight me with your full strength like that?" Mizuki chided in amusement and the young Uchiha glared at him as she took a step closer to him. He knows that Nariko's injuries were not completely healed from the jutsu that he witnessed earlier, but he wasn't going to let his guard down because of it.

"Never judge by a person's appearance, Mizuki..." Nariko warned him. "It will get you killed..."

Mizuki stifled a small, sinister laugh from the girl's answer. "Well, I can't argue with you there. Now that your true power has finally come out, neither one of us will have to hold back!"

From the distance, Nariko slipped her hand inside the left side of her white bandana and she slowly pulled out the two red hair clips that were adorned in her hair. Gazing at it a little bit, she cracked a small smile, "Fumi..." and she clutched it in her hand with determination.

"Mizuki, I'm going to say this...one time. That tree behind you..." She pointed to the battered tree that had suffered from losing its bark and several scratches to it. To be quite honest, she felt sorry for the tree to have to go through such brutality and force. "...will be your final resting place once I kill you..."

The man just laughed at her. In his mind, she was still being crazy and almost suicidal about her foolish attempts of bringing about peace in the world and her hopes of defeating him were even more foolish. "Do you seriously think you can take me down just because you'll healed yourself a little bit and changed your outfit? Ha!"

Nariko stretched her hands out in front of her and she clamped them down together tightly. A red light shined through her fingertips as she slowly opened her hands. As she moved her hand upwards, the light extends and forms into two long slender beams. Then, she grabbed them by opposite ends and they turn into a pair of short swords or in her case, a pair of kodachi swords that shined brightly in the sunlight. "Let's do this..."

The two warriors prepared themselves for a brutal clash as the harsh air currents and leaves swirled around them. Mizuki stared at her and Nariko glared at him. Fearing of making a mistake, neither shinobi could make a move. It was the perfect stalemate. Their footing was set permanently on the ground, eyes narrowed as they waited for the perfect moment to start this deadly battle against steel. Well, more like fire against steel for Mizuki since his sword was made of actual fire.

In a instant, the two shinobi charged forward with their swords in front of them, war cries escaping their lips as their swords clash with a loud clang of crushing force. Their feet buried themselves into the Earth below them while the blades of their sword rattled against each other in a attempt to break the other's defenses.

"Not bad. You may be hurt but you still got some strength left in you..."

Nariko struggled against him and grounded her teeth in frustration. "S...Shut up!"

She parried his flame sword, breaking his defenses as she descended away from him to give her some distance between them. Nariko goes for it again, but this time she uses her the kodachi in her right hand. She leaped into the air, doing a twisting layout with her body as she brought down her sword to slice through his head. But as luck would have it, he protected himself against her with his sword. Nariko then does a front flip and she landed behind him, ready to strike him with the kodachi in her left hand. She dashed ahead to attempt another attack Mizuki, but he sees her and quickly counter by attacking her, however Nariko was quick enough to protect herself against him by using her kodachis as a shield.

Mizuki smirked. "I'm glad, Sharingan Princess. It seems that your injuries haven't slowed you down at all!" As he said that, his sword ignited with intense flames and Nariko's eyes widen in fear. Unable to get away fast enough, she took a diagonal slash across her chest and the double stinging sensation of being cut and burned caused her to stumble a bit.

_'How is he doing that...?'_

"Katon: Boushikadou!" [火遁:紡績渦(Fire Release: Spinning Vortex)]

Mizuki plunged his forward and the flames surrounding molten blade created a tornado of flames, spinning in devastating speeds.

"A sword made from from pure chakra at a supernatural level..." Nariko analyzed as she noticed the huge column of swirling flames hurdling towards her. "I've never seen anything like it before...until now..."

The flame column spiraled even faster towards and she did several different hand signs in rapid succession, ending with the sign of the tiger. Nariko activated her Sharingan and a clear whirlpool of chakra swirled from her eyes, creating a triangular-barrier with a polished, flat surface.

"Sanryoukyou Sharingan!" [三稜鏡写輪眼(Prism Sharingan)]

The second the flame column touched the barrier, Nariko was pushing it back, hoping that draining its power will make it falter and disappeared on its own, but that was proven to be even more difficult than she had anticipated it to be. The power behind his technique was extremely powerful, too powerful for any normal human being to be able control even with excellent chakra control. Her eyes strained to get rid of the flame column, but with a little more effort and perseverance, she was able to reflect the power back at Mizuki, which he dodged quickly after witnessing her power behind the Prism Sharingan.

Mizuki swung his sword multiple attacks at her, igniting flying blades of fire towards her. Nariko dodged a majority of them, but not even she would be to evade that many at one time and because of that, she took a few hits that made stumble to the ground. The only thing that kept her from falling completely was the fact that she drove both her swords into the ground at the very last second. Her body was smoky from the smoldering heat from his attacks, but she was all right nonetheless.

"How do you like the powers behind the Flame Sword? I'm sure that being cut and burned at the same time is a very unpleasant feeling for you."

"You're right. This is the first time I've experienced that kind of pain..." Nariko was struggling to keep herself from losing consciousness again. "The powers of the intense flames are impressive, but the wounds it created were not as strong as I thought. And I now know your secret. The secret behind your Flame Sword..."

Mizuki tilted his head to the side from the young girl's claim. "Oh?" He was interested to see if the girl really did know the secret behind it. "Enlighten me why don't you?"

"The heat that's generated from the sword and being able to ignite massive flames by sheer will power alone is a feat that most shinobi cannot do without proper training and synchronicity. However in your case, you must have a huge amount of chakra in order to do this...and something inside of your body is helping you reserve that power! That chakra sword is the key to your power!"

"Well done, Sharingan Princess. Your powers of observations are spot on. You are the first person to even come close to truly understand the power behind this sword. But you've barely scratched the surface of it."

"What do you mean by that?"

"As you said before, this is no ordinary chakra sword and that this weapon is at supernatural levels, but the reason for that is because that this sword was created from gathered ashes that was embedded with fire element chakra..."

She raised a curved eyebrow. This was confusing to her as she tried to figure out what he was trying to say. _'What is he talking about? Ashes with fire chakra? Where would he get that from? Unless...'_

"I see you're trying to figure how that is possible. Then I shall tell you the secret. The ashes that were forged to make this sword...belong to the bones of fallen shinobi who lost their lives from the horrible tragedy 10 years ago..."

Nariko's eyes shrank slightly in disgust and horror as she covered her mouth to keep herself from becoming sick and emptying her stomach from this new but grotesque information. _'The ashes...belonged to human beings...?'_

"The next secret behind the sword is how the flames ignite on their own accord. When a shinobi dies, their chakra lingers on and buries itself deep within their bones. That power doubles if the user has the same element as the ashes, making it more powerful and even more fatal..."

"You're..." Nariko seethed. "You're using a weapon made from human ashes to kill humans beings with it? You're even willing to go that far for the sake of power and killing Naruto? People like you make me sick..."

_'She's deduced the secret of the Flame Sword by just seeing it once. She is truly a prodigy in the making...'_ Mizuki smirked at the young raven. It amused him that her voice was filled with so much venom and malice towards him. This excited him in more ways than he could ever imagine. "And in turn, I also know the secret behind your Prism Sharingan..."

Shocked coal eyes were instantly locked on him, her muscles stiffening. "Is that right...?"

Mizuki nodded, his sinister smirk growing even wider. "The way your Sharingan works is that the person has the ability to use its power to reflect attacks back at your opponents, but it's not as simple as that. In term of optics, prisms are used to disperse light, that is, to break light up into its spectral components. This dispersion occurs because the angle of refraction is dependent on the refractive index of a certain material which in turn is slightly dependent on the wavelength of light that travels through it. This means that different wavelengths of light will travel at different speeds, with longer wavelengths being refracted less than shorter wavelengths."

Nariko held her ground, waiting for Mizuki to finish his hypothesis.

"In your case, the Prism Sharingan works differently when it comes to different types of chakra and various attacks, especially since chakra is represented by different colors. The diamond-shaped prism in your eyes are used to erase the attacks that comes in contact with the mirror like shield. Since fire is represented by the color red, which is the first color on the spectrum scale, the wavelengths are at the highest peak of speeds and power. When the fire from my sword clashed with the shield, it was proven to be rather difficult for you as it took you a long time to repel the attack..."

"Tch...!" Nariko was on her feet again, ready to attack him as she pulled the swords out from the ground. 'Damn it...! He's smarter than me. I'll give him that...!'

"What's the matter? I thought you said you were going to kill me." Mizuki said, furthering agitating the young kunoichi. "Or were they just empty words in the heat of the moment?"

Nariko growled in aggravation as the quiet fury from within her was beginning to break. Anymore and she will lose all the ability to fight logically against Mizuki. If that was to happen, then she would surely lose and he would be claimed as the victor of this battle. She couldn't that to happen, because too much was on the line. Hell, her own life was on the line in this drawn out battle. _'I can't let him distract me! I have to figure out how to get through his defenses. All I need is one shot. The minute he lets down his guard, I'll hit him with **that** jutsu...'_

Mizuki sucked his teeth in vexation. _'This is harder than I thought. Her mind and will power is strong for a female. I need to make her really lose her sense of logic if I want to use **that** jutsu against her. It's the only shot I have if I want to kill her...'_

With blinding speeds, Nariko and Mizuki charged at each other at full speed and they collided against each other in a blinding flash of light as the battle rages on...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next special chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**Hot Spring Madness!**

Miyuki and Team Taka are at the Hot Springs. Enough said...


	20. Special Chapter 3

SPECIAL CHAPTER 3:

**Hot Spring Madness!**

**_NOTE:_** This short story takes place during chapters 4 and 6. Prepare to laugh yourself silly! ^_^

Sasuke and the rest of Taka were traveling the Land of Iron and they were trying to find a place to stay for the night. On their way coming here, Suigetsu kept tiring himself out by carrying that sword of his. Karin called him a "lazy ass" and he retorted back by calling her a "bitch". Miyuki hated that word and she was upset with him by using such language on a girl. Even if it was Karin, she didn't deserve to be called that. Sasuke on the other hand was so sick of this arguing shit with Karin and Suigetsu.

Jugo couldn't take much more of it, either. He never really involved himself in such affairs, but it was becoming too much for him. He usually can tolerate it, but even Jugo was reaching a breaking point.

When they checked into the hotel and got their rooms, Suigetsu was trying to talk to Miyuki but she was not having it. Until he admit that he was wrong, she was not speaking to him and she meant that.

Suigetsu didn't like when Miyuki was mad at him, but he had an idea how to get her to stop being mad and he was going to put that idea into action.

Later, that night, Miyuki had went to take a late bath since everyone was gonna be heading to bed soon. She wanted to be alone and she wanted to talk to Karin about Suigetsu, but she haven't arrived. Miyuki thought she might as well soak in the bath for a minute before she came here.

The blonde slowly dipped her body into the semi-warm water and sighed heavenly when she slid her entire body in it. Her muscles were sore from all the traveling they did from today and it felt so good for her body to loosen up. The day had been tough, filled with training and other things, but Suigetsu made it better for her by keeping her company. Ugh...she was still mad at him.

"Suigetsu-kun..." Miyuki whispered to herself. "...why are you so mean to Karin-chan...?" She asked as she layed her back against the cobblestone edge of the pool.

"Because she's annoying and gets on my nerves..." The water nin's voice spoke plainly, causing the blonde to sit up in the water and heighten her awareness. She grabbed a towel from nearby and wrapped it around her body.

"Huh? Suigetsu-kun, where are you?"

"Don't worry about that right now..." He answered. "...I need to talk to you."

Miyuki crossed her arms and pouted, "I'm not speaking to you."

"You just did..." He stated.

"Whatever."

"Look, I don't feel like arguing with you right now. Just talk to me and I'll leave you alone for tonight." Suigetsu said with sincerity.

"If you apologize to Karin, then I will talk to you again."

"You're still talking to me, kitten or did you forget?" He joked, knowing that it rile her up and have her fuming out the ears.

"S-Shut up, Suigetsu-kun!" Miyuki yelled back.

Suigetsu laughed for successfully making the blonde more irritable. He thought it was cute and hilarious when she was pissed or angry, because it just didn't suit her at all. She was too kind and sweet for that. "In all seriousness, I did talk to her."

Miyuki paused and register what he had said. "Y...You did?"

"Yeah. Despite her throwing everything at me but a bathroom sink, I apologize and she accepted it...I think..."

"Is that right?" She questioned, not knowing if he was telling the truth.

"Yes, I am. Do you forgive me?" He asked. "I really am sorry..."

Miyuki can tell that he was being truthful and she sighed, knowing that she really can't stay mad at him for too long. "All right. All right. I'll forgive you. Sheesh. No need to get all sappy on me. You should of did it sooner."

" Oh c'mon, Miyuki! Give me a break! Shouldn't you give me something for doing the right thing?"

"Shinobi are suppose to do the right thing."

Suigetsu chuckled from the blonde's answer. "Tell that to Sasuke. He's been on the wrong path for so long he doesn't know what the difference is anymore..."

Miyuki laughed when Suigetsu said that. He did have a point though, although she felt so sorry for him. No one should have to go through kind of pain.

There was bubbling in the water and Miyuki found herself a little scared from the noise. There was no one in here but her. Where was Karin? Wasn't she suppose to be here by now? She sure was late coming to take her bath. Suddenly, something or should she say someone risen from underneath the water. The water formed the shape of a man and it was none other than Suigetsu himself. He looked at Miyuki with a devious grin on his face. "Hey, kitten..."

Miyuki was bestowed with the sight of him dripping wet from the water, his white hair weighed down from the heat and moisture, and his muscles glistening from the heat of the hot spring. A fainted blush was growing on her cheeks.

"S-S-S-S-S-Sui-Sui-?" The blonde started to cry out, but he covered her mouth with his hand to keep her from making anymore noises.

Suigetsu shushed her gently and crossed his arms. "Jesus! Do you have to be so loud, kitten?"

"What are you doing in the bath?" Miyuki said in a panic. She was not comfortable with Suigetsu being in here with her half naked and she wrapped the towel around her even tighter. Well, almost nude for him. "This is the girls' bath!"

"So?" Was the plain response.

"So? Get out!"

He shook his head. "No."

"What do you mean 'no'?"

Suigetsu didn't answer her. Since he was close enough, he curled his finger under her and made her look at him, making her jump. "Now kitten, do you know that being mean to me has serious consequences?"

"C...Consequences?"

"That's right."

"What kind of consequences?" Oh God. She had to ask. That was a big mistake.

Next thing she knew, Suigetsu had his strong arms around her waist and looked at her with a predatory grin. "Okay, I take it back! I take it back! I'm sorry!" She yelled back to get him away from her, although it didn't really mattered at this point since Suigetsu wasn't listening to her anyway.

The water nin licked his lips across his rows of sharp teeth. Miyuki couldn't get away, because he had a death grip on her waist. She had liked him as a friend and all, but this was going way too far! Suigetsu leaned in slowly, his eyes at half mast as he tilted his head to the side. Miyuki's blush intensified as he was coming closer to her. She had to admit that looking into his eyes, he looked quite...sexy with that face.

_'Just a little more and those lips will be mine...!'_ Suigetsu thought.

Just when he was about to seal the deal, Suigetsu was clobbered upside the head with a small bowl that had bar soaps and bath salts in it. Miyuki realized who did this and turned her attention to Karin, who was standing in the doorway with a towel wrapped around her. She was juggling another bowl in case she had to do it again or just throw at him again for shits and giggles.

"Suigetsu! What do you think you're doing? Stop molesting the damn girl!" She screeched and he rubbed the back of his head where he was struck at.

"Tch!" He seethed. He was SO close and Karin had to go and ruin it for him. He wanted nothing more than to strangle her. "Damn it, Karin!"

Miyuki just giggled at Suigetsu, whose attempt of trying to seduce her had failed indefinitely. "Suigetsu-kun, You're gonna have to try harder next time..." She winked at him as she got out of the bath and left the hot spring for the night...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**Memories: Student and Sensei**

As the battle continues, Miyuki remembers the good memories about her sensei and Karin makes a horrific discovery behind Ami's madness...


	21. Chapter 16: Memories: Student and Sensei

CHAPTER 16

**Memories: Student and Sensei**

The lightning was zooming in fast on Miyuki and the others continued to watch the fight from the sidelines. The power came crashing down on her with an intense force as a blinding light covered the battlefield. Crackling sounds of the lightning resonated on the field as Team Taka waited for the light to die down, so they can see what happened.

Karin was worried about the blonde. The chakra put into that attack was a frightening amount and there was a possibility that Miyuki couldn't escape that jutsu unscathed. Suigetsu on the other hand wanted to help her, despite her telling him not to. He was not the kind of man to sit back and let a girl do all the fighting. He decided without the others knowing that he was going to kill Ami the minute Miyuki's jutsu was finished or whenever he saw an opening, whichever option came first.

Jugo scanned the area, trying to look for the blonde, "Where is she?" he asked as he continued to look around. It was until a second later that he along with Suigetsu and Karin saw her again. The blonde had emerged from the smoke that had erupted from the electrical shock.

Miyuki had several scratches on her legs and arms from protecting herself from the rigid dirt that went flying everywhere after the attack was executed. She had barely dodged that last jutsu and she glided on the grass to get away from Ami. The blonde growled in frustration. Even though she was attacking with everything that she had, she wasn't getting anywhere at all and it was upsetting her. It didn't help much when Ami was looking at her with sadistic grin that was clearly mocking her.

"Ami-sensei, you are really pushing me to the brink, aren't you?" Miyuki asked with a hint of amusement, despite that this situation was nowhere near being funny.

"I can see the results of your training...Well, I must say you've definitely improved over the years, Miyuki..." Ami praised with a sinister smile. "...However, it still isn't enough to kill me..."

"Oh man...This is bad..." Suigetsu pointed out as he watched the conversation from the distance. "This is really, really bad..."

"What is it?" Karin asked.

"Miyuki can't go through with killing her!" Suigetsu guessed and just by looking at the blonde's expression, his guess was right on the money. "She has the desire to win, but she doesn't have the instinct to kill. She is not taking this battle seriously because her heart is not in it! If that was the case, she would have beaten her a long time ago!"

Karin thought Suigetsu was overreacting but when she looked at Miyuki's face, he was right. Her eyes were glossed over with hatred and confusion as she took in small breaths to even out her breathing. She could see it as clear as day now. She figured out where Suigetsu was going with this and it didn't take Jugo long to figure it out, either.

"Karin, Jugo, you understand, right...?" Suigetsu hoping that they knew what he was talking about and they answered him with a simple 'yes'. Now that they had that settled, all they had to do was wait for the right moment.

"Miyuki-chan, I see that your friends are contemplating a counter attack to try and help you out..." Ami guessed and Miyuki gasped as she glanced over her shoulder to see Team Taka silently whispering to each other. "...But let's not have anymore interference, shall we?"

Karin gasped. "Guys, if we really want to help Miyuki, I suggest we do something quick before she puts that shield up!" The red head warned urgently and the others noticed the quick hand signs that Ami was making from the distance.

"Raiton: Jou Kyoten!" [ 雷遁: 陛衛(Lightning Release: Imperial Guard)]

Suddenly, a blue light flickered in her hand as it crackled and lit up from the amount of chakra being put in it. "Now, my precious student...let the real games begin!" Ami spread her arms out and the light started to form a shield of pure lightning, stretching outward and surrounding her. The shield touched the trees and they snapped like twigs as it continued to quickly grow larger and wider in size.

As acting leader, Suigetsu had to think quickly. Even though Miyuki's healing jutsu was still trying to heal his injuries as well as the others, he refused to let Miyuki get trapped inside Ami's lightning shield. Standing up, the water nin grabbed his sword by the hilt and looked down at Jugo who was still trying to let his wounds heal. "Jugo, give me a boost!" he ordered.

Jugo stood up and nodded as the the two of them ran off in the direction where Miyuki was. Karin tried to called them back, but they were already too far gone to even hear her. Jugo activated his curse mark as his right arm grew appendages and it turned into a jet booster, which Suigetsu had jumped on. Seconds later, Jugo had reeled his arm back and sent Suigetsu flying towards the battle terrain.

Ami tilted her head to the side as she seen Suigetsu ascending towards the shield, having a death grip on his sword. Her sinister smile grew even wider as she continued to make the shield and in turn, making it stronger. With all his strength, Suigetsu swung his sword with incredible velocity onto the shield, trying to cut through it but that was proven to be quite difficult. He growled in vexation as he was trying with all his might to break it, but he was loosing his footing that he had secured on the ground. It wouldn't be long before the power from the shield would fling him back, electrocuting him again in the process.

_'I gotta get through this fucking contraption...! I refuse to let that woman take her from me...! I won't let it happen...!'_

"Suigetsu-kun, stop it!" Miyuki pleaded. "You'll hurt yourself! Get away from the shield!" She begged him to stop, but he didn't listen to her. He just continued to push forward. Ami had the upper hand at the moment as she relished the fact that Miyuki had some pretty strong feelings towards the water ninja.

Suigetsu just smirked and chuckled under his breath. "As if. You got the wrong one if you thought I would just sit back and let you do all the damn fighting. A man never lets a woman fight for him!"

"You're a strong one, brat. I'll give you that much..." Ami complemented, clearly enjoying him struggle.

"Suigetsu-kun, what about my promise?" The blonde asked. "I thought you understood what I wanted to do!"

"A promise means nothing...if you don't live to carry it out..." Suigetsu whispered. He couldn't hold his ground anymore and the strength of the shield flicked his sword away from him and the electrical currents got a hold of him. The lightning-based chakra barrier sucked him in and sent multiple shocks of electricity throughout his body.

The force from the electrical shock was so strong that it pushed Suigetsu back with an intense force, making him crash back-first into a large stone boulder that was planted heavily into the ground. His body shook violently as the aftershock sent tremors all over his and he slid down the rock, groaning in pain from the assault.

"Suigetsu, you all right?" Karin asked as she and Jugo came to his aid. The red-head knelt down and checked on him. Despite the pain he was in, Suigetsu was all right...on the outside. He was suffering from severe electric shocks to the Chakra Pathway System and it was slowly draining his strength, making it even harder for him to fight and move around. "You can't take anymore blows, Suigetsu. Anymore and you'll short circuit your Chakra Pathway System, and I think you already know what will happen..."

Suigetsu sucked his teeth. "I know that...me and my big mouth..." he joked and he slowly sat up again to watch the raging battle.

Ami chuckled deviously. "Such a pity that a fine young man such as him would go to such lengths to try and rescue you, Miyuki..."

"**Why you**!" Miyuki yelled in a rage and charged towards her teacher, who had her back turn at the moment. Ami turned around and the blonde was only inches away from striking her with a chakra-infused punch. "**Take this**!" Miyuki reeled her hand back as her hand glowed and she lunged forward. Her attack was zeroing in on Ami's face, inching closer and closer to pummeling her...

_'Miyuki, help me!'_ A familiar voice called out to her and Miyuki gasped as she stopped herself from going any further. Was she hearing things? She could of sworn she heard her teacher's voice...her real voice...The one she remembered as a child.

_'Ami-sensei...?'_ She thought with wide eyes. Her closed fist that was nearly touching the tip of Ami's nose was now shaking and her lips quivered in fear as she slowly backed away from her.

Karin narrowed her eyes at Miyuki and then she glanced over at Ami, who's smirk had turned more sadistic as she placed her hand on her hip. _'What's going on...?'_

Taking this chance, Ami had kicked Miyuki in her stomach, making the blonde fly back. Then, she put her hand behind her back and pulled out a white flower with a long green stem and clasping leaves on it. With precise aim, she threw the flower at Miyuki as multiple roots opened up, trapping the blonde in a tight bind with the roots tightening down on her arms. Miyuki fell on her side in the grass, wincing in pain as the roots steadily squeezing.

"Miyuki had her right where she wanted her! What the fuck happened?" Suigetsu questioned to his teammates, unsure about what just transpired. Did he missed something? What made Miyuki stop her assault at the very last second? Jugo didn't know what had happened, either, but he did wanted to know was the blonde all right. He had never seen such fear in her eyes before.

_'Ami's chakra...it's like it's controlling her from the inside. That can't be right...Everyone should be able to control their own chakra but hers..it's like it has a mind of its own. Is Ami trying to trick __Miyuki into lowering her guard or is it something else...?' Karin wondered as she tried to figure out what was happening._

"Now, now, Miyuki..." Ami held up her right hand and she continued to take slow steps towards the trapped blonde as chakra flowed into her hand to form electricity "...we can't have you trying anything funny, now can we?"

_'Ami-sensei...how did it come to this...?'_ Miyuki was focusing her chakra to try and free herself from the flower rope. While doing so, she started to remembered the good times with her sensei...

* * *

_Outside the Ninja Academy, four figures were scattered across the field, each person relaxing after a long day of training. The sun was shining brightly and the temperature was nice and breezy._

_Little Nariko had fell asleep the minute she layed on the grass. She had pushed herself a bit too hard and wore herself out as usual. Sarina, their other teammate had decided to sit by the river and read her book while staring at the clouds from time to time._

_Miyuki however wanted to stay with her sensei and enjoy her company, even though Ami told her that she didn't have to._

_"Ummm...Ami-sensei...?" Miyuki asked nervously._

_"What is it, Miyuki?" Ami answered her with a smile and Miyuki blushed slightly when she called her name._

_"Have I...well...has my training improved...?" Miyuki questioned, twiddling her fingers. "I mean...I know that I've been trying my hardest lately, but it seems like that I keep falling behind. My big sister always does everything that she is suppose to do and even Sarina is showing improvements despite the fact that she just got out of Muscle Correction Therapy a year ago..."_

_Ami raised an eyebrow at her student. She had always worried about her skills as a kunoichi. "Where are you going with this, Miyuki?"_

_"Even though we just became genin, I feel like that I can do so much more but I can't..."_

_"Are you showing self doubt in your own abilities?" Ami asked and Miyuki gasped from her teacher's observation. She had hit the nail on the head. "There's no need to doubt yourself, you know?"_

_"And why is that?"_

_"As a kunoichi, you're pretty well rounded. You're pretty fit than most kunoichi and you've master the "Mystic Healing Palm Technique" as well. Hell, you mastered it a whole lot faster than Sakura did." Ami praised, trying to make the blonde feel better._

_Miyuki lowered her head from what she said. "But...I'm nowhere near as good as my Godmother..."_

_"Listen, don't worry about trying to be as good as someone else. Focus on becoming a kunoichi that you can see yourself as in the future. As the saying goes: 'Each flower has a soul blossoming out to nature'."_

_"What does that mean?"_

_"I can't tell you everything, now can I? The important thing about growing is that you figure out things for yourself. I'm not gonna be around forever and I want you and the other girls to be prepared for the shinobi world even when I'm not here. I'll tell you what. The day that you figure out what I had said to you, I wanna hear what you think it means."_

_Miyuki nodded and formed a hopeful smile. "Okay!"_

_"Now, I'm gonna go get Sarina and you wake up your sister so we can all go home." Ami winked at her as she stood up from the tree to dust herself off. Miyuki glanced at Nariko, who was now drooling out the mouth and she turned her attention back to her sensei as she watched her sensei's figure disappeared to retrieve her teammate._

_'I promise...I promise that I will figure it out and I will tell you...someday...'_

* * *

Miyuki was now being held up in the air by Ami, whose free hand was now shaped into a blade from the lightning that she had formed. Tears threatened to come out from Miyuki's eyes as she looked at her sensei with a look of sorrow. _'Why can't things go back to the way they were...?'_

"Miyuki!" Suigetsu screamed, fearing that the young girl was about to get killed before his very eyes and Ami did the cruelest thing that any shinobi could have ever done. She turned around to the others, letting them see the helpless look on Miyuki's face.

"You see this, Taka? I'm letting you see her one last time before I send her to the afterlife!" Ami chucked in a dark tone as she raised her hand. "You and your parents will have a lot to talk about when I send you to see them. I'm sure that they'll be happy to know that their youngest daughter was killed in battle!"

"Shit!" Suigetsu yelled finally standing up and started running towards the area to help the blonde-haired kunoichi. Karin knew better to not try and stop him this time.

He was making a valiant effort to save her, despite the damage that had been done to his body earlier. He had cuts all over his body but he didn't care about that to say the least. The only thing that mattered right now was making sure that Miyuki didn't die right in front of him. He remembered when Sasuke told him to look after Miyuki and if she were to die, he could never be able to forgive himself if that was to happen and Sasuke will most certainly kill him for it. To make things worse, time was not on his side, because Ami was now swinging her hand down, coming closer and closer to decapitating Miyuki by her neck.

_Five..._

Karin and Jugo looked on as they realized that Miyuki was staring death in the face and their only thoughts were: Was she going to die?

_Four..._

"MIYUKI!" Suigetsu cried, praying and hoping that he reached her in time. He was not gonna let her die. He refused to let that happen...

_Three..._

"Goodbye, Miyuki..." Ami said without any emotion. Miyuki struggled for as long as she could, but she couldn't hold on anymore and she let her arms fell numbly to her sides.

_Two..._

The horrible sound of flesh being ripped apart and torn was heard from the distance as everything around them had stopped. The air was still and thick, and then, very slowly, the dark red liquid sprayed and splattered in the air as it coated the grass and trees with its sticky substance. Everyone was silent and their hearts stopped as the blonde kunoichi fell limp on the ground, her body not moving anymore.

And Karin's anguish screams filled the skies above them. "**MIYUKIIIIIIIIIII!**"

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**The Will to Fight and Protect Our Dreams**

The battles comes to its final stretch! Suigetsu watches in sheer horror as Miyuki is struck down and Nariko shows Mizuki her last spark of fire...


	22. Chapter 17: The Will To Fight!

CHAPTER 17

**The Will to Fight and Protect Our Dreams**

Slanted, purple eyes widen in horror as the red liquid splattered on the grass, scattered on the stones and rocks, and even on the trees. The body fell limp to the ground, twitching a few times before it had stopped moving all together. The water nin slowed down from his running and skidded across the ground to stop himself from coming in contact with the lightning shield again. His lips parted in disbelief, sweat rolling down the side of his face as he replayed in his mind what had just happened.

Suigetsu's blood ran cold from the possible thought that Miyuki...was dead. He lowered his head from that speculation.

"Such a pity, Miyuki. I thought you would have been stronger than that." Ami said as she looked over at the blonde's body. "It's a shame that your heart didn't become as strong as your skills. If your will was stronger, maybe you would still be alive right now!" Ami chuckled evilly and the others grounded their teeth with anger.

Suigetsu tightened his fists to the point that they were turning white. He bit his lip hard enough to draw blood as it trickled down his chin. This was cruel. Even beyond his standards of cruelty. _'That bitch! I'll fucking kill her!'_

Karin narrowed her eyes at Miyuki's body and then she glanced over at Ami, who had that ruthless look on her face. She continued analyzing the frequency of Ami's chakra and she found something that she had never seen before. Ami's chakra...most of it was tainted with madness and evil while the remaining normal chakra was slowly withering away. That was definitely not a good sign.

"Now then..." Ami started, "...to finish the job." and she slowly made her way over to Miyuki's body.

Karin ran towards Suigetsu and shook his shoulders to snap him out of his daze. "Suigetsu, come on! We have to get Miyuki's body and get out of here! We already tried! We can't win this fight!" Karin knew immediately that they had to run. They didn't stand a chance against this kind of opponent and if they were to stay there, they were going to be killed. She understood how Suigetsu felt about Miyuki as a friend, but now was not the time to be acting stupid. As leader, he had to take responsibilities for what just happened.

Before Karin could get an answer out of him, she saw something flew past her eye and turned her attention back on Ami who was still walking over to dispose of Miyuki's body. Milliseconds later, a light orange blur stopped in front on them and eyes widen when they saw light blonde hair fluttering in the wind, light tanned skin that had dark patches on it, and a raised manicured hand that had blue chakra shaped like a blade running through it.

_'M-Miyuki...?' _Karin and Jugo thought at the same time as the kunoichi was now crouching down with her feet heavily planted in the ground, ready to strike Ami down with her ultimate attack.

Suigetsu's sorrow frown turned into a satisfied smirk from Miyuki's cleverness and quick thinking. _'Nice diversion, kitten...although you nearly gave me a damn heart attack...'_

Putting all her strength into her left hand and right leg to give her a boost and increase her running power, Miyuki charged ahead.

"Over here, sensei!" Ami heard the voice as she slowly turned around. Much to her horror, she saw the real Miyuki, who had a look of fury in her light blue eyes and was closing in on her with devastating speeds. Before Ami had a chance to do anything, Miyuki forcefully drove her chakra-infused hand into her sensei's chest, knocking the wind out of her.

_'Miyuki? How did she...?'_ Ami thought as she looked over at the fake body and head as Miyuki vanished from her sight. It disappeared in a puff of smoke as she quickly realized that she had captured a log with her flower ninjutsu and chopped off a huge chunk of wood instead Miyuki's head. Instead of blood, there were splinters floating carelessly in the air. Luckily, none of them got on her fingers. _'When did she pull off a replacement technique...?'_Ami thought as she gasped for air.

"Not yet!" Miyuki yelled with determination. "I'm just getting started!"

Appearing from the left side, the blonde started things off with a front kick and roundhouse kick, alternating with each one to make eight consecutive hits. Then she jumped in the air, rotating her leg that connected with Ami's torso multiple times. Next, Miyuki attacked Ami with backflip kick, launching her in the air. Balancing herself back on her feet, the blonde jumped up as she formed the sign of the tiger, infusing her legs with chakra to increase her attack power.

"Fuuton: Kourasen no Mai!"[風遁:鳳螺旋の舞(Wind Release: Dance of the Spiraling Phoenix)]

Still in the air, Miyuki turned her body upside down and does a split as she started to twirl around in circles. The chakra in her legs expanded to the size of large blades and the kicks connected as Ami screamed in agony from being cut by the chakra. Team Taka watched as the Bakudai member continued to get torn to ribbons from Miyuki's assault. The blonde increased her spinning and a tornado of wind was created from the speed and force of the attack.

Miyuki stopped her spinning long enough to turn her body back on her right side again. Ami slowly descending in front of the blonde head first and without a second thought, Miyuki delivered the final blow with a hard air kick to her neck that sent Ami flying straight down to the ground. Ami's body came crashing down onto the surface of the Earth as the sound thundered and echoed all around the forest.

Karin stared wide eyes as she expected the damage done to Ami. The woman's body had multiple lacerations and incisions all over her body and her clothes were torn and ripped. And her neck...she didn't even want to go into details. Her neck was twisted to point of almost being broken. From that move, Suigetsu suspected that Ami would not be getting up from that last move and he release the air in his lungs that he held during that moment. He made a mental note to never piss her off in the future.

Miyuki slowly spun around as she landed on the ground where her teammates were, panting from being worn out from using that technique. She had forgotten how much chakra that move uses, but it wasn't like it drained her completely.

"Now..." Miyuki said through labored breaths, placing her hands on her knees. "...it's over..."

* * *

The loud clanging of swords resonated in the forest as Nariko and Mizuki continued their battle. It had been an hour after this fight began and it was growing tiresome. Both shinobi had been pushing themselves to the limits of trying to take their opponent down, but they haven't had much luck in doing that so far.

Nariko was just attacked in her stomach with a technique called "Dark Release: Birth of Hatred" that Mizuki fired at her and was flung back towards a ring of fire that he had created with his Flame Sword beforehand.

"That technique will devour your chakra whole and it will drive you to the brink of insanity! You will have no choice but to succumb to the darkness! Game over! I win, Sharingan Princess!" He laughed evilly as Nariko was thrown into the wall of fire.

Mizuki was not letting up at all and not showing any weaknesses. Whatever that Dark Release technique was doing, it was eating away at her remaining chakra. Nariko felt it working quickly inside of her body.

_'Damn it...! How am I suppose to get rid of this thing inside of me...?_Nariko knew that she was were running low on chakra and only had enough strength left to pull off a simple jutsu. One that would be strong enough to take him down. If she didn't do something, she was going to die.

The kunoichi fell on her back and her chakra was slowly draining away. This was it for her. There was nothing more she could do. At least she tried. _'The darkness is going to destroy me...but I...I can't give up! ..Please...someone...anybody...!'_

Nariko closed her eyes and let the back of her eyelids envelop her in temporary darkness...

**XxX**

_"I love you, sis. Good luck and take care of yourself..." Miyuki's cheerful voice chimed in from the depths of her mind. She loved her little sister so much. So pure, so innocent..._

_"Don't worry, Nariko. We'll find your sister and beat the Bakudai as well!" Naruto's voice was always loud, rambunctious and full of energy. Nariko couldn't never forget his voice._

_"You idiot child of mine!" Sasuke's voice roared slightly irritated. He had enough of this long, drawn out battle and he wanted nothing more than for Nariko to put Mizuki out of his misery. "I hate repeating myself! Nariko, get up and show that arrogant asshole what you're made of!"_

**XxX**

From hearing Sasuke's voice, Nariko quickly opened her eyes and she realized that the fire was quickly drawing closer to her. With her Sharingan revived once more for a final attack, she took a hold of one of her kodachis. Before she could anything else, the fire swallowed her up completely.

Outside the blazing fire, the only thing that Mizuki heard was the powerful, agonizing scream that came from the kunoichi. He smirked, knowing that the young girl was being burned alive in the immense flames.

"Well, that's it..." Mizuki said as he gazed at the fire that was burning away some of the white cloth from Nariko's outfit. "...It's a shame that a fine woman like her had to die so young in battle. She would have made a great kunoichi someday if she had just stayed out of our way..."

Believe it or not, Mizuki was feeling the scars and bruises he received from that girl. It was going to be a long time before he engaged in another battle. Nariko certainly had showed him that she was truly strong for a woman. He was hesitant to admit it, but he would love to fight an opponent like her once again if the chance ever came across him.

He turned away and started to walk from the the forest. There was no need to stay, since he already knew that the fire would grow bigger and bigger until it completely burn down the forest. Mizuki had enough of fighting some Uchiha brat and just wanted to return to the future and head back to the 'Bakudai' Syndicate. Of course, there was one thing he had to take care of first.

The smirk was now evident on his face. He was going to enjoy this immensely as he could almost taste the victory that he's been savoring all his life. The death of Naruto Uzumaki...That would be a wonderful feeling to feel his blood being splattered across his face. "Now to take care of the Nine-Tails and kill Naruto Uzumaki..."

"**NOOOOOOOOOOO!**"

From hearing that voice, Mizuki turned around and Nariko emerged from the flames as her bandana flew off from around her head. Her left arm wast stretched in front of her and her kodachi was infused with flames as she continued to ascend towards him in a rage to finally kill him. The tomoes in her Sharingan were spinning wildly and she pierced through Mizuki' stomach.

"**OVER MY DEAD BODY!**"

Without Mizuki knowing, Nariko looked over Mizuki's shoulder and she saw something that made her smirk in triumph. She continued to pushed the sword deeper into Mizuki abdominal area until the blade came out from the other side of his body as she flew even faster than she was before. The force from Nariko's sword thrust continued to push them back further and further until his back collided with something hard as he profusely coughed up blood.

With both her hands now on the hilt of her sword, she let out of an malicious chuckle of her own. "I told you..." She said in a labored breath "...that this tree...would be your final resting place..."

From what she said, Mizuki looked at his surrounding and his eyes shrank in horror from where he was pinned to. His body was indeed pinned against the tree that he had damaged earlier and he looked back at the person who had wedged his body there.

Her eyes were glazed over with malice and she spoke to him in a playful yet deadly way, "Game over...You lose..."

She twisted her sword to the left, hearing his organs swish about in his body and Mizuki's painful yet morbid screams could heard throughout the forest...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**Dying Flame**

Mizuki dies and a warrior stands tall as the tears of joy of fulfilling a long time wish strikes the heart...


	23. Chapter 18: Dying Flame

CHAPTER 18

**Dying Flame**

Nariko still had one of her kodachis driven into Mizuki's stomach and she held onto it in order to keep him pinned to the tree. Mizuki's outfit had tears here and there, his arms had small lacerations from the tree cutting him earlier, his left elbow was broken from Nariko vicious assault, and now he had a weapon that was slowly tearing up his vitals organs from the inside. All in all, Mizuki was in pretty bad shape.

_'What's going on...? The Dark Release: Birth of Hatred technique and being swallowed by the intense flames...I saw it happened for myself. How can she still be alive after all of that...?'_

Mizuki's widen in shocked when Nariko lifted her body up a little more and he saw blood trickling off of something on her body. The blood happened to be dripping off of her other kodachi that was she using and now it was in the same place that she had pierced Mizuki...through her stomach...

"You...don't tell me you figured it out...?" Mizuki managed to breath out.

"Yeah..." Nariko said before taking in a sharp breath. "...just before the fire had tried to devoured me..."

Nariko was in a worser state than he was. She had several bruises on her arms, cuts and slits were all over her white karate shirt and almost half of it got burned in the fire, her throat was sore from being choked by him and not to mention that Mizuki had punched her in the stomach and poisoned her lungs with anestetic earlier. All of the moves he had used on her earlier were starting to take an effect on her. She just endured all that pain...until now...

"From what I could see, that particular jutsu can feed off chakra when it comes in contact with human flesh. I knew immediately that my life was in danger and had to extract it from my body before it could kill me. You were getting sloppy and desperate with your moves, so it wasn't that hard to figure it out..."

**XxX**

_Inside the flames, Nariko had grabbed a hold of her sword and she sat up on her knees. Sterilizing the blade with chakra, she pulled it in front of her and swiftly drove it into her stomach. She continued to push until the blade pierced through her body, revealing a blackish-purplish sphere on the tip of the blade. Nariko screamed in agony from the wound that she created herself, but the pain subsided for a minute._

_"I see..." Nariko said as she took a glance behind her back. "...so that's what that thing looked like..."_

**XxX**

"You...you mean...you stabbed yourself...just to remove the Dark Chakra Seed that was embedded inside your body...?" Mizuki couldn't believe it. This girl...was she crazy? Did she really wanted to die that badly?

"That's right..." Nariko chuckled softly, "Because of that, my body is in tatters..." and she groaned, feeling the blade deep inside her flesh.

"Poor, princess...You trying so hard not to show that you're in pain, but you're struggling to do so and your chakra is reaching its limit. That wound...it must be extremely painful..."

"Not if the person inflict it on themselves..." Nariko bit back in anger. "...it doesn't hurt as much..."

"Under these circumstances, shouldn't you be fearing for your life? This time, none of us will make it out alive in this battle..." Mizuki asked before he coughed up more blood. "You're willing to go so far...just to save the Nine-Tails..."

"My dream...my family...they're all important to me and I'll do anything to make sure that they're safe from harm's way. Of course, a man like you would never understand that. Mizuki, you've committed so many evil deeds in your life and for that, you're going to repent for them all in the bottomless pits of hell! I can't think of a more fitting resting place for a man such as yourself..."

He just chuckled softly. She was still talking nonsense, even on the verge of death. Well, he had no room to talk, since he was going to die as well. "Lord Touran is the one who will destroy this world...just like how he did in your time..."

The raven narrowed her eyes at him as she forcibly pulled out the kodachi that was in her stomach. This was some new information to her. She had never heard of him before as strange as it sound, but she needed to know more about this person. At this point, any kind of information that could increase their chances of winning against the 'Bakudai' would be helpful.

"Who is this Touran character?" Nariko asked, hoping to get some more information from him. "Is he your leader? What does he plan to do? And why is he after Naruto's Jinchuuriki's element power?"

"It is not of your concern. You girls will never be able to change fate, no matter how hard you try..." He felt his eyelids become heavier and he slowly shut them. Those were his final words before he took his last breath and his body became still...

It wasn't another second later when his skin had started to turn white, almost as if he was about to turn to stone, but that wasn't the case. When Nariko took a closer look at Mizuki, his body looked very soft, almost like a simple feather-like touch could easily shatter it and destroy his body. Slowly, Mizuki's flesh started to disintegrate into tiny pieces, eroding away a little by little until there was nothing left. She continued to watch as he completely disappeared, not leaving a single trace behind him...

Nariko was shocked by how this man had died. For him to die in a such a way for his leader...and for her to be the one to witness it...it was nothing short of horrific and tragic. She almost felt sorry for him...

"It's over..." Nariko said in relief, dropping her kodachi. "It's finally over..." She was so exhausted from all the fighting that she didn't even have the strength to move another inch. The only thing that was keeping her standing was nothing but sheer will power and even that little bit of strength was starting to leave her body. _'Father...I did what you told me to do. I've fought with everything I had and I'm so glad I was able to win. I hope that you're in the good mood to see me...I don't think I'm going make it...'_

Wincing from the sharp pain in her abdominal, Nariko pressed her hand against her stomach, trying to suppress some of the pain, but that effort was useless. Blood was still seeping out from the wound through her fingers and the pain was becoming worse with each passing minute.

_'I...I don't have anything left. My strength is pouring out of me just as my blood is...I've been at death's door so many times in the past, but it's never been like this...Is this what death really is...? Even so, I managed to take down one of the members of the "Bakudai"...'_

Nariko's legs were starting to give out on her, although her will wasn't giving in just yet. _'Miyuki, Sarina, I'm sure that you guys can continue on this mission without me or find someone else to take my place. In the very end, I was able to do the very thing that I always wanted to do in my life and that was to protect Naruto...even at the cost of my own life...'_

Feeling weak from too much blood lost, the puncture wound in her stomach, and the extensive use of her chakra, Nariko fell to her knees with her back hunched over, each breath becoming shorter as she hugged her abdominal area. She looked up at the clear blue sky and glanced at the sun. For a brief moment, she thought about Naruto and his warm, sunny smile that can melt the coldest heart from its endeavor and she felt a stinging sensation in the corner of her eyes. She smiled and felt the tears swelling up before the salty liquid streamed down her face in small droplets.

_'I've...always lived on borrowed time...and now my time...is up...'_

Not being able to hold her body up anymore, Nariko felt her strength slipping away and she slowly began to fall back into the earth below her. The Sharingan was receding, returning back to her normal coal eyes which were now losing its bright luster.

_'Naruto...Sasuke...for the sake of everyone, please do everything in your power to save this world...'_

With a soft thud to the ground, she landed on her side, shutting her eyes and letting her body relax until she drifted into the world of nothingness...

* * *

Down south in Konoha Forest, Sasuke was still traveling in the direction where Naruto's chakra signature was giving off. Just when he was about jump on another branch, he felt a jolt of chakra shot up his spine. He almost lost his balance because of the sudden surge, but he regained his composure.

_'Someone is on the brink of death...' _He clenched one of his fists. _'But... who is it...?'_

Not wanting to stand around pondering over the thought, Sasuke hurried to that part of the forest to reach to that person in time.

* * *

From the north side of the forest, Naruto's eyes widen in horror when he sensed Nariko's chakra was slowly disappearing. He came to a halt and stopped on a nearby branch. "No...Nariko...you can't..." he uttered to himself but not quiet enough because the others had heard him and they stopped as well.

Sakura saw the look of fear on face and she was now worried about him. "Naruto, what's wrong?" Wasting no time in answering her, Naruto quickly ran in the direction where he remembered the raven's chakra signature from earlier. "Naruto!" The pinkette cried after him.

"What's wrong with him?" Kiba asked, not liking how Naruto was acting just now.

"Is it Nariko-san?" Hinata asked with concern.

"Whatever it is, it can't be good!" Sakura said and the others quickly followed him.

_'Nariko...don't you die on me...! You hear me? Please don't die...!' _Naruto jumped from branch to branch with all of his strength, praying and hoping that the young girl did not fall in battle...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**The End Of The Battle**

Ami isn't done in yet and she goes after Miyuki! The blonde uses a technique that she forbade even herself from using...


	24. Chapter 19: The End Of The Battle

CHAPTER 19

**The End Of The Battle**

***Warning**: You might want some tissues for this chapter.*

Barely standing, Miyuki was using every ounce of her energy to keep herself standing. Because of the dark patches on her skin, she was having a hard time. The exhausted blonde fell to her knees and Jugo saw what was happening to her. Just by looking at her, he noticed that her muscles were steadily becoming weaker.

"Miyuki, quickly!" Jugo yelled out to her, getting the others' attention. "Heal yourself right now!"

"Jugo, what's wrong?" Suigetsu asked, worried about his sudden outburst.

"_Sanguinaria canadensis_ commonly known as the **_'Bloodroot' _**is a perennial, herbaceous plant that can produce morphine-like benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, primarily it's the toxin sanguinarin. If the flower is exposed on human skin, it forms large scabs called eschars. At this very moment, her muscle tissues are being destroyed!" Jugo explained and the other eyes widen slightly from his explanation.

"That little flower from earlier..." Karin said as she glanced at the marks that we're slowly spreading around her body. "...is doing that much damage...?"

"I'm afraid it is...and if she doesn't heal herself fast enough, it can destroy all the muscle cells in her body as well, making her unable to fight again..."

Suigetsu looked at Miyuki, who was trying to heal herself at the moment and she winced from the pain. _'Miyuki...I honestly thought that you were a weak girl who couldn't do much when it came down to fighting. And this battle just proves that you're even stronger than I thought you were...You have my respect as a fellow shinobi...'_

In a instant, the chakra that surrounded the members of Taka had vanished and everyone was finally healed. The other sighed in relief that the jutsu had finally wore off and Miyuki turned to them as she gave them a thumbs up for dealing with that healing jutsu for so long. She believed in them and knew that they could do it.

Karin was glad too, but something was still bothering her. "Something isn't right. Miyuki won and the battle is over, but...Why is the lightning barrier still up...?"

"Because I'm not dead, you stupid bitch!" A voice roared. Hearing this made the others stopped what they were doing and looked over at the battlefield where Miyuki was still trapped inside the barrier.

Ami was slowly rising up from the ground and dark purple chakra was now seeping through the open wounds of her body. When she sat up, her neck was slightly twisted and she realigned it back with ease to how it used to be before Miyuki had almost broke it earlier. Jugo's bottomed jaw dropped from seeing that and Karin gripped her neck out of reflex from witnessing something so disturbing.

_'Are you fucking kidding me...? What is it going to take to keep that bitch down...?' _Suigetsu gritted his teeth from Ami standing up again. For her to still be able to move from all that, it's not even humanly possible. He was beyond nervous and scared and he didn't know what else to do at this point.

Miyuki lowered her head from sensing Ami's chakra again. If her final attack didn't do anything to stop Ami the first time, then what technique would? The guys couldn't get through the barrier on account that Ami was still alive and even if she used the "Wind Release: Dance of the Spiraling Phoenix" technique for a second time, it wouldn't be as effective as it was the first time and Ami would possibly get up from it again. They were running out of options and time was not on their side. _'Sensei...why...?'_

"Miyuki-chan, behind you!" Karin screamed from where she was.

Snapping out of it, the blonde turned around and she noticed that Ami was now approaching her in high speeds with a kunai knife in her hand. Miyuki gasped and her eyes grew larger in fear when she saw what was in her sensei's eyes. Her eyes were glazed over with death, bloodshed, and destruction. Ami was not gonna stop fighting until one of them was dead.

There was one technique that she could use, but she didn't want to resort to using that. It would drain her completely and she wouldn't have anything left.

In this situation, Miyuki only had two choices: either be killed by Ami or she gave the finishing blow, killing her instead. If she wanted the the happiness for her future parents and everyone she knew and loved, Miyuki had to take the initiative. She had a mission and she couldn't die yet. But in order for her to do this, Miyuki was gonna have to kill any kindness in her heart she had left for her sensei. Judging from the speed Ami was traveling, Miyuki only had a few seconds before she made any type of contact with her.

It was now...or never.

Miyuki's fearful look suddenly turned into devious cold glare as she closed her hand, clenching it tightly in the dirt and formed a fist. She didn't have a choice and her blonde bangs covered her eyes as she started to dashed forward. _'I'm so sorry...Sensei...'_

Memories of the old days with her kind-hearted sensei assaulted the blonde's vision and Ami was closing in on her, preparing to give the finishing blow to Miyuki. With the momentum that she gained from running, Miyuki leaped into the air and she was ascending towards Ami. She drew her arm back as power gathered into her fist. The chakra aura surrounding her fist quickly changed from a translucent blue to a dark blood red with black specks in a instant.

Karin gasped in horror when she saw the power emitting from Miyuki's fist. "That power...!"

"**DIE!**" Ami yelled with malice, ready to slit open her former student's throat.

With all the strength that she can muster, Miyuki punched Ami in the center of her torso, ceasing her from doing anything further.

"**Makai no Riki!**" [地獄の強さ(Hell's Strength)]

Suigetsu, Karin, and Jugo were not only stunned and shocked from the technique but the strength and power behind it. It was unreal. They've never seen anything like it.

Every pressure point was struck simultaneously with intense chakra, sending shock waves throughout and doing some serious damage to Ami's body. Blood splattered on Miyuki's cheek from Ami coughing up blood as a blackish-purplish orb flew out from her mouth. The woman is sent flying towards the other end of the barrier and Ami's back slammed into the barrier, electrocuting her in the process. After for what seemed like an eternity, the barrier was completely destroyed and Ami fell face first into the ground...

* * *

Naruto and the others were getting closer and closer to the clearing and they were having a hard time keeping with Naruto's speed. He was determined to save Nariko and that's what he was going to do.

* * *

"Holy shit..." Suigetsu whispered and his gaze returned to Miyuki, who stood with her legs spread apart and was slightly hunched over, her fist was still extended as she panted labored breaths. Her face had small specks of dried blood on her cheeks that had splattered on her from Ami's mouth.

Miyuki tried to stand up but finds that difficult to do and lost her balance. Thinking that she's gonna fall back on the ground, Suigetsu caught her in his arms.

"Karin, what was that power you were speaking of earlier?" Jugo asked.

Karin finally worked up the nerve to speak after everything that had happened. "That power...that was Hell's Strength!" she said after removing her shaking hands away from her mouth.

"Hell's Strength? What is that?" Jugo questioned. He had never heard of this technique and he was now curious about it.

"Hell's Strength is a darker form of Chakra Enhanced Strength...and it much more powerful..." Karin said. "I didn't think it was possible for anyone to master it..."

"Stronger than Chakra Enhanced Strength?" Jugo inquired.

Karin nodded before continuing, "That's right. The name alone is scary but that's not even half of it. Hell's Strength is a last resort power that you can only use when you...kill the kindness in your own heart. But for those can use that power, they are either gentle spirits or those who have hatred buried deep within their souls. More or less, Miyuki has both of those qualities."

Jugo was now wondering how did Miyuki, a gentle spirit like himself had that much power suppressed inside her? He didn't even sense her real power at all.

"Hell's Strength works like this. After killing the kindness in your heart, that feeling manifests itself into chakra, giving it an ominous look and dark power. Then, you strike the opponent's body with it, simultaneously giving them severe external and internal damage. Judging from the strength of it, she was only able to use 25% of its full power." Karin explained.

Miyuki sighed sadly that she had to end this battle by killing Ami. She didn't like unnecessary bloodshed, casualties, and killing people but she was pushing her patience with this constant fighting. When it came to giving the final blow to an opponent and killing them, she could never go through with it...even though most ninja must have the instinct to kill. She could never find it in herself to kill another human being, no matter how evil and corrupted they are.

"But that's not the only thing that I figured out. I didn't understand it until now but from the very beginning, this battle...was meant for Miyuki to kill Ami on **purpose**. In order words, Ami was never evil from the start! That thing that was inside of her was controlling her..." Karin concluded.

Miyuki felt her heart stopped and the world around her just shattered like glass when she heard Karin had said that. _'What...what did she say...?'_

* * *

Zooming at high speeds, Sasuke continued to run through the countless trees, hoping to reach Naruto as quickly as possible. It wouldn't be long before he made to the clearing, reaching the middle of Konoha Forest.

* * *

_'Ami was never evil from the start and the thing inside her body is what controlled her?' _That couldn't be right. Everything the blonde knew...everything down to the new found hatred that she had for Ami for being with the 'Bakudai'...was inaccurate? Was that really true?

Not wasting any time, Miyuki rushed over to her sensei and turned her body around to try and heal her from all of the heavy damage. Sitting Ami up in her lap, Miyuki tried to focus her chakra to use the Mystic Palm Technique on Ami. When her hand glowed slightly, the light flickered and the energy disappeared. She refused to believed that her own attack drained her of her chakra completely and she tried it again for a second time. This time, her hand didn't even glowed the green aura in order for the technique to work. _'Sensei, I won't let you die...!'_

"Mi...yu...ki..." Ami said to her in small breaths as she smiled weakly at her.

Miyuki's face lit up with hope when her sensei spoke to her. Maybe they could save her sensei after all. "Thank goodness. Ami-sensei, you're gonna be all right now! My chakra might be drained, but if we hurry back to Konoha, I know we can get you the..." The blonde stopped talking when Ami shook her head in protest and placed her left on the wound of her torso.

"It's okay, Miyuki..." Ami breathed. "I...wanted this to happen..."

"What do you mean?" Miyuki asked in desperation, hoping to get a clear answer because none of this was making any sense. The others had finally came to where they were, but they were standing a couple of feet away from them.

"That orb that came from out of my body is a Dark Chakra Seed and like your friend said, it **_was _**controlling me..."

Miyuki's eyes instantly filled with tears. It was true after all.

"It happened a year after I was supposedly killed in battle, but Touran had other plans in store for me. He used a Reanimation technique to revive me and my partner from the dead and we were brought back to life. We were forced to obey him. My partner did it without hesitation on account he would get something out of it, but I was not going to give in so easily, so they had to forced the dark jutsu on me in order to get me to cooperate. Killing and destroying everything in sight...Having that jutsu cast on you is like living in a nightmare. The only thing you know is carnage and destruction and you can't feel any emotions or pain. I hoped that one day...one day that someone would save me from that horrid nightmare and thinking about my precious students was the only thing that kept me sane...Miyuki...you actually saved me from the darkness..."

"I think I understand it now. You wanted Miyuki to try and save you, even if that meant destroying you in the process. The Dark Chakra Seed that was inside of you was feeding on your life energy and it drove you into insanity and madness. You had to push her...push Miyuki enough to make her angry, so you tried to kill us in order to bring that hatred out of her. You were successful of making her enraged and in turn, she used that technique on you, forcibly driving the seed from your body..." Jugo guessed, quite astounded by the level of deception that Ami used against them.

"Exactly. Now that you know the truth, I can finally die happily with no regrets..." Ami smiled as tears flowed down her face.

"Ami-sensei, please..." Miyuki cried as she held unto her hand. "Please don't talk like that...!"

"Don't worry about me, Miyuki. Worry about your family and the shinobi world itself. A lot is going to happen in this time. Touran is doing everything in his power to make sure you girls are not successful in saving your parents..." Miyuki gasped from Ami knowing about their mission. "Yes I know what you're trying to do and I'm...proud of you girls for trying to change the history of that tragedy...You have to be strong and protect those who you care deeply for..." Ami glanced over at Suigetsu, the man who tried to save Miyuki so many times during this fight.

If only she could tell Miyuki how sorry she was for putting her through so much pain and suffering, but she knew that trying to apologize now would make her last moment awful and she didn't want that.

"Do...you understand...?" Ami breathed, feeling Miyuki gripped her hand tighter as she held it in her hand and she said the one thing that she had always told her students when they were kids. "Protect the people that you love and cherish them...that will make you stronger..."

Miyuki nodded trying to hold back her tears from remembering those words and she closed her eyes. "Of course, Ami-sensei. I'll do my best and so will Nariko and Sarina too..."

Ami forced her eyes open one last time, getting a good look at her blonde-haired student before her, knowing that it was the only chance she was ever going to get. Besides the fact that she was influenced by the "Bakudai" and nearly driven to insanity, she was happy and content that she was able to see one of her students again. "You've bloomed into a beautiful flower..." Feeling the pain from her stomach, she felt her breath leave her and her eyes slowly shut.

"A-Ami-sensei...?" She asked, her voice coming out in a small shrill.

At that moment, Ami's grip loosen from the place on top of her hand. Her fingers slowly entwined and the back of her hand fell limp onto the grass with a small thump. Hearing the noise, Miyuki quickly looked into her sensei's eyes, but Ami's body had became still, her brown eyes were listless, and the only thing that was moving on her was the swaying of her dark-purple hair from the cool breeze.

Miyuki got no answer and her heart clenched even tighter. She gently shook her shoulder, as if willing him to wake her up from a deep sleep. "Ami-sensei?" She asked again, more fear evident in her voice. Even more determined not to let Ami go, she tried to use her medical ninjutsu once more. Sadly, just like the last time, her chakra flickered weakly and it disappeared.

Miyuki sobbed as she held onto her sensei. Feeling as if her heart had just been brutally ripped out from her chest as she lay there with her. Trying to will away the whole thing with her soft whimpers, Miyuki wished that this was just a horrible nightmare and she will wake up, hoping to find her sensei was still alive and the kind-hearted woman that she was before all this happened. She tried with all her might and even as a medical ninja, she still couldn't save her beloved teacher.

"It all makes sense now..." Suigetsu whispered more to himself. "To do that kind of thing to your own student...and this Touran guy...that is **SO** fucked up..."

Suigetsu could understand the pain that she was feeling. He understood this particular pain of lost, because he lost his older brother the exact same way. The only difference was that he was too young and couldn't do anything to save him. Seeing something like this all over again made him feel remorse for the young kunoichi, caused a dull ache to form in his chest.

"The ultimate deception..." Karin stated. She was even more upset that Miyuki's teacher would so far as to lie to her and deceive her, making her believe that she was an enemy. _'How did I not see this coming...!'_

Suigetsu walked to her and knelt down next to Miyuki as she continued to shed her tears, his lavender eyes filled with sadness from the outcome of this battle. "Miyuki, you couldn't escape this fight. Ami knew that and she wanted you kill her in order for her soul to be free from the darkness. For that, she chose to die again..."

From that last statement, Miyuki brought her pointer and middle fingers up to her sensei's eyes and she pulled her eyelids down, closing her eyes. She didn't like seeing her with her eyes opened like that. The blonde hugged Ami even tighter and her quiet whimpers soon turned into loud sobs as she continued to mourn over her lost of her sensei...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**Reunion**

The battle is completely over and when Sasuke and Naruto finally reunite after all the chaos, what will happen to them...?


	25. Chapter 20: Reunion

CHAPTER 20

**Reunion**

The tears from the blonde kunoichi continued to fall and splash on the face of her beloved sensei, who was now lying dead in her arms. Miyuki closed her eyes, trying to forget everything that has happened: Ami becoming evil, having to kill her, and finding out that she never had that intention to begin with. It was just too much for her heart to handle and she was a person who couldn't deal with death all that well. Then, Ami's skin was becoming more and more pale as the minutes and seconds passed. Miyuki's eyes widen from this notion and this caught the others' attention.

"What's...happening to her...?" Miyuki asked while looking at her face. She placed a cool fingertip on Ami's cheek and it chipped from her touch, crumbling very slowly.

"Her body is withering away. Now that the Dark Chakra Seed is out of her body, she can no longer exist. Miyuki, the woman in your arms is just an empty shell of what you thought was your sensei. You have to let her go..." Karin explained as she walked over to the other side of the battlefield.

Ami's body was now white and soft like porcelain and starting at her feet, her body was eroding away into microscopic ashes. Miyuki didn't want to let her go, even if she was an empty shell of Ami's former self. So she held on to her body, being so tender and gentle with it so she wouldn't crush it.

Suigetsu continued to watch the woman disappear before his eyes. He knew that she had won the fight, but she lost it at the same time. To kill an enemy and lose a loved one like that was a pain that no one would be able to take. He was upset with himself that he even fought an opponent like Ami and still wasn't able to do much to take her down. Miyuki had to do it...by herself...It bruised his ego that a girl had to rescue them and he was not one to admit these kind of things out loud. Suigetsu knew that the next time the 'Bakudai' would attack, he would take down his opponent...without mercy...They would taste the edge of his sword...

Jugo was being really quiet about the whole thing. He had no idea that the 'Bakudai' were such strong and formidable opponents The way they used their strength, how they fought, and how they were willing to go to achieve their goal was what got to him the most. If he and the others would've of gotten fatally injured from Ami, not even Karin's Heal Bite and his healing technique would be enough to save them. Jugo thought over it and if Miyuki wasn't with them during this fight, they would've been killed...Enough said...

Karin had bent down to pick up something from the terrain and she examined it. She only hoped that this piece of evidence left behind would be able to help them for future battles and even get some more information about the 'Bakudai'. As she walked back over to the others, Karin wondered why she was not able fight against her. Her body and mind was so distraught during the fight, that she couldn't even help the guys like she usually would during a battle. She clenched her hand into a fist from frustration of being so inept while carrying the item she had in her hand. She couldn't continue this never-ending cycle of being incompetent, not being able to do anything. She wanted to be as strong as the men on her team and she was gonna keep that promise. Not only for them, but for herself as well. No questions about it.

By now, everything from the shoulders up was the only thing that remained on Ami. Miyuki's eyes never left her face and she smiled, knowing that her sensei was going to a better place...for a second time. The blonde's face was dried from her tears, sticking to her skin as the blood on her cheek had disappeared from her earlier tears. _'I finally understand what that saying means now. You've wanted me to be my own kunoichi and a person who can share that happiness. Someone who can bring a miracle to reverse the chaos of what happen ten years ago...Thank you, Ami-sensei...thank you for believing in me and my abilities as a kunoichi. I understand what I'm suppose to do...Even if I have to use fatal force, I will become stronger to ensure peace in this world...'_

From the tiny hairs left on Ami's head, the last of her essence was completely gone. There wasn't a trace of her left. Miyuki closed her eyes and contemplated in silence, giving her sensei the prayers she deserved for getting tangled up with the 'Bakudai'. Karin had returned to the others and she sat next to them, taking off the huge pouch that she usually carried with her on mission.

The red-head pulled out a vial with green liquid and a cork top to keep the liquid from destroying the goods she had in her pouch. Suigetsu and Jugo watched as she picked up the Dark Chakra Seed and put it inside the vial, sealing back tightly.

Suigetsu was the one to ask the obvious question. "The Dark Chakra Seed...what are you gonna do with that?"

"I'm taking it back with us. With this, maybe Konoha's Decryption Team can do some encoding and be able to find some information about the 'Bakudai'. Today, we fought blindly against them and if we want to be prepared for the next time something like this happens, we gonna have to be ready for them."

Jugo agreed to the idea, but Suigetsu was completely against it. "Karin, I'm all for being prepared and everything, but I don't think that's a good idea to bring that thing back with us to Konoha. I think we should just destroy it right here and now." The water-nin pondered. He didn't know why, but he had a gut feeling that taking that Dark Chakra Seed with them could cause problems in the future...problems that could have some serious consequences to them.

"It should be fine now, Suigetsu. Judging by the looks of it, the Dark Chakra Seed lost all it's chakra." Karin hoped that she put the water-nin at ease, but it was only slightly that his expression had changed. He still didn't think it was good idea, but what choice did they have? He rather fight knowing his enemy's strength than to fight blindly and get killed.

"All right, Karin. You're right..." Suigetsu said, finally standing up from sitting on the ground for too long. "Miyuki...are you ready to go?"

Miyuki was pulled from her thoughts and she looked up at the water nin. He had tried so many times to try and help her, but he wasn't able to. She had been selfish to the others about fighting Ami and she was now regretting even coming with them. They would of fared well without her, but she only thought if she didn't suggested going with them, would she seen them again? Would she see Suigetsu again? The blonde didn't even want to think about what would life be like if he wasn't here. Suigetsu had offered his hand to help her up and she took hold of it with a strong grip, holstering herself up from the ground.

Just by looking at him, she could tell that everything was gonna be all right. The concern that he shown her with his eyes told her that. It was not the end of the world. They won the battle for now, but the war was a long road ahead of them and they would face it head on...along with Naruto, Sasuke, and every shinobi around the world..."We should get going. Sasuke probably caught up with blondie and screwing him into oblivion by now!" Suigetsu joked out loud and Miyuki smiled from him laughing, despite everything that just happened. He was such a sweet guy. Carefree...yet sweet nonetheless...

"You're right, Suigetsu-kun. Let's go!" With that, the others started to head out into the forest. With one last glance behind her back, she looked at the spot in the grass that has been flatten from Ami's body lying there. Miyuki had smiled and gave a thumbs up, making a new vow to herself to keep her promise and do her sensei proud. She ran out to the exit of the forest, going after the others.

* * *

Sasuke had reached the opening of the forest, completely exhausted from running so much. He looked around the forest, checking his surroundings for any sign of Naruto. He wasn't present, but all he saw was charred trees, grass with blood stains on it, destroyed boulders, a white bandana with a leaf symbol on it, a kodachi wedged in a tree, an unconscious female body - - wait, what? He had to look again to see if he had missed something and he didn't. Right in front of him was a young girl lying on her side on the ground in a small pool of blood. He figured she must have been fighting another member of the 'Bakudai' and it looked liked she had lost. She wasn't Naruto but he couldn't just leave her lying there like that. Although her chakra was extremely low, she was still alive.

Vanishing and reappearing to where the girl was, he took the kodachi out from out the tree and knelt down to take a look at her condition. Her hair had came out from her ponytail and covered the left side of her face, her body was cut and bruised, and her stomach had a huge gash in it. This girl needed some serious medical attention. There wasn't much he could do for her at this point. The best option would be to take her back with him, hopefully run into Naruto so he could admit her in the hospital.

Reaching out his hand, he brushed the hair from out of her face to get a better look at her. When he did, his eyes widen from what he saw and retracted his hand. _'W-Who...who is this...?'_

The girl had black hair like his, only hers had more blue tint in it than his. Her complexion was just like his and her face...good God, her face...she even had his facial features as well. Was his eyes deceiving him? First, it was Miyuki when he saw her for the very first time. She resembled Naruto so much and it had bothered him to no end. That was bad and now this? This had to be a joke. This girl...she looked just like him! This had caught him off guard because he wasn't expecting anything like this to occur.

_'Who...in the hell is this girl?' _That was the only question Sasuke could come up with from all this sporadic craziness. Ever since Miyuki told him about the 'Bakudai', he tried to piece together all the information she had gave him, but he was unsuccessful in doing so. He needed to know more, because nothing was making sense anymore. There was one thing he remembered and that was when Miyuki told him that her sister would be here. That much was certain and here she was.

_'If this girl is Miyuki's sister, then...she's...'_

A faint footstep brought Sasuke out of his thoughts and he turned his attention to four people that was standing at the other entrance of the forest. One had shaggy brown hair with a tan with black slits in his eyes, another one was a female with lavender hair and white eyes. They both had displeased looks on their faces. He easily recognized them as Kiba Inuzuka and Hinata Hyuga. Beside Hinata was the pink-haired girl that he known cruelness towards a certain blond in past was here as well. Sakura...he could never forget her face and judging from the expression on her face, she was ready to kill something. Last but not least was the blond he had made an effort to save him from harm's way, Naruto Uzumaki. From what he could see, he was fine.

Naruto's left hand had formed into a fist as his eyes narrowed in anger. "Sasuke...what have you done?"

That was the only thing that came out of the blond's mouth. Sasuke had no room to think or give an answer, because Sakura had grabbed a hold of the tanto that she always carried on her back from the hilt and came at Sasuke with a speed he didn't know she possessed. Thinking quickly, he held up the sword and he realized the mistake that he made. He had never put the sword down and Sakura thought that he was the one responsible for the girl's state she was in. Her tanto and the kodachi that Sasuke had clashed together with a loud clang.

"What are you doing, Sakura?" Kiba asked from the distance.

"**SASUKE-KUN!**" The pink-haired kunoichi roared and she infused her fist with chakra, hoping to use her super strength to try and punch Sasuke, but she had missed and her fist drove into the ground. The strong impact had nearly caught Nariko, but Naruto used a Shadow Clone to get the raven away from the area.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto yelled and went after them. The Naruto Clone had gave Nariko to Kiba before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"**SASUKE-KUN, HOW DARE YOU!**" Sakura leaped in the air to finally get Sasuke. She was gonna make him pay for killing Nariko as she reeled her fist back and lunged forward. Sakura felt her attack halt and it was Naruto that had stepped in front of Sasuke, protecting him from getting pulverized by the girl. This would have been easier if this was a normal punch, but she was stopping her from midair.

"Sakura, stop it!" Kiba yelled at her as he watch Naruto barely holding her at bay from her punch. "I don't smell Nariko's blood on him and there's none on his body! Sasuke didn't do this!"

"Sakura-chan...!" Naruto strained through his teeth. He wouldn't be able to hold her back much longer before he would be forced to swing her away from him. Sakura soon realized that the Naruto and the others were right and she let herself down to her feet. She had made an incorrect assumption against Sasuke and Kiba and Hinata had sighed a breath of relief, knowing that Sakura had calm down.

"I'm sorry, Naruto...and to you too, Sasuke-kun..." Sakura apologized and took a slow walk over to where Kiba and Hinata were, so she could heal Nariko from her wounds. But she wasn't going to give up on fighting Sasuke. She intends to keep that promise...and she'll make sure that Naruto will not be hurt ever again...not even by her former love interest...

* * *

In future Konoha in a dark corridor, a dark figure was sitting on a blood red throne and their legs were crossed. This person was swishing around the liquid in a goblet that they were drinking out of. Someone enters the room and that person is clad in a platinum cloak.

"Lord Touran? Sir, I'm afraid I have some bad news..." The male had announced in a somber tone.

"What is it...?" Touran's voice was always so demonic and disoriented, but the male in front of him could always understood him.

"Ami and Mizuki have failed us. They were both killed by those brats..." The man said in disdain. He always hated when he had to announce a mission failure, because he knew it upset his leader. "I'm sorry, sir..."

"Don't be sorry. They were weak and pathetic anyway. Besides, Mizuki was a fool to believe that I would let him kill Naruto Uzumaki. Ha! I want that pleasure for myself. I want to drain him of his chakra once again and drink it to fill my power...just like I did his lover, Sasuke Uchiha..." Touran chuckled devious under his breath and takes another sip, savoring the taste of the Uchiha essence.

"What do we do now?" The man asked now that his leader's plan had failed.

"There's nothing we can do at this point. The girls may have diminished my plan but the other plan is already set in motion and if this one fails...Let's just say Naruto and Sasuke will get an unwanted visitor that will destroy everything. For this plan to work, all it needs to do is wake up. I'll let the girls savor their victories for now, but on the night of the new moon, it will awaken and hell will be unleashed on everyone." Touran's evil laughter filled room and echoed off the wall as his faithful follower had left him to take care of other matters...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next special chapter of Changing Fate is:  
**Special Announcement**

A special chapter as Naruto, Sakura, Nariko, and Miyuki have fun recapping the most crucial and special moments of Changing Fate they have a special surprise for the readers!


	26. Special Chapter 4

SPECIAL CHAPTER 4

**Special Announcement!**

***Warning**: This chapter is for shits and giggles as a thank you for all my readers for supporting the story and read all the way to this point. Don't drink anything while reading this, there's some OOC, and all kinds of random stuff. Here we go!*

The sounds of continuous laughter was heard through out halls of a studio as Naruto, Sakura, Nariko, and Miyuki were sitting in high chairs, talking and having fun. It wouldn't be long before they started the special chapter series for a story that they were doing and they were so excited about doing it for the fans.

"Is everyone ready?" The gang heard the director asked from his place near the cameraman. "We'll be going live in five minutes!"

Sakura was fixing her make up and studied her with a annoyed expression. Naruto didn't understand why she liked wearing that stuff on her face anyway. In his opinion, she looked fine without it. "Sakura-chan, there's no need for that stuff, you know?" He told her.

"And why not?" Sakura asked before she closed the lid on her mirror. "We're going to be on live television in a few minutes and I have to look my best, right?"

"You look fine without all that crap on your skin." Nariko interjected. "Honestly, I don't get what's so important about putting all that dirt and oil all over your face like that. Girls could be so self conscious sometimes..."

"Nariko, you're still too young to understand a woman's true beauty." Sakura giggled as she put on her lip gloss. "But it's okay. You will learn someday..."

"Sis, please don't start an argument..." Miyuki knew how Nariko was when it came down to things like this. Nariko loved to argue about certain issues and when it came down to females and self confidence, she would win just about every time.

Ignoring Miyuki's warning, Nariko continued on her little rant. "A woman's true beauty isn't putting all that make up on. It comes from self confidence and being comfortable in your own skin. What you're doing to yourself right now is only artificial beauty. I'm disappointed, Sakura. I thought you wouldn't be the one who cared about that kind of stuff..."

Sakura was steaming but Nariko did have a good point though. Naruto was scared that Sakura might destroy the studio that they were in. He couldn't forget the time that Sakura was jealous that Hinata had got her own ending and destroyed the platinum screen TV demanding for her own ending. "I get what you're saying, Nariko, but you didn't have to say it like that."

"I'm just telling it like it is. If she can't handle the truth, then that's just too bad. I'm not gonna sit there and lie to her like you would, Naruto." Nariko pointed out and the raven instantly pinned Naruto into a corner. "Why don't you tell Sakura about the time she cooked you a meal and you ate it, despite the fact that it tasted like despair...As you would call it."

"**WHAT**?" Sakura roared from where she heard. She had worked her butt off to prepare the meal for him that day and now she was hearing that he didn't like it. "**I THOUGHT YOU SAID MY FOOD WAS GOOD!**"

"I was kidding, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said nervously, hoping that Sakura wouldn't beat the living shit out of him. "The food was fine, but it could use a little more seasoning!"

Sakura felt veins popping all over her forehead. Naruto had messed up when he said that. "**YOU LITTLE LYING...!**"

"Quiet on the set! We're going live in 30 seconds!" The director announced and they had rushed over to their spots to get ready to shoot their first TV special.

Naruto was adjusting his headband, tightening it around his head. Sakura was combing her hair, straightening out her hair from any tangles. Nariko was dusting off her karate shirt and Miyuki was brushing her hair to rid herself of any tangles as well. Nariko was so glad that she wore her hair in a high ponytail. She didn't have to deal with that.

"And we're live in 5...4...3...2..." The director said and his producer cued them to start reading the words from off the title cards. Naruto was the first to start everything off.

"Hi there, everybody! Welcome to the 'Special Announcement' Segment special from the hit series _'Changing Fate!'_ Today, we gonna recap some of our favorite moments in the story line and afterwards, we have a special surprise for our readers!" Naruto said with the famous Uzumaki grin. "Nariko, why don't you start us off?"

"Me? Well, I have a favorite moment that had me ROFL!" Nariko said in between giggles. "That was when me and Sakura both went out to lunch together one day..."

Sakura blushed from remembering what almost happened that and Naruto saw that. He had a grin so wide on his face that Miyuki was afraid that his face would split in half from the gesture. This was the perfect chance to get back at Sakura. "Oh really? Do tell. What happened that day?"

"NOOO! Don't show that clip!" Sakura protest but Nariko grabbed the remote in her chair and pressed the 'play' button on it, turning on the TV that was behind them...

**XxX**

_"Nariko grabbed Sakura's chin and turned her head to face hers. "Yes, you do. Or to be more precise, you thought I was beautiful that day. Am I right?"_

_"Ummm, I-"_

_Nariko chuckled, "You're a pretty girl, too, Sakura-chan..." she complimented and brushed a single strand of Sakura's hair to the side. "I appreciate the compliment."_

_Sakura's blush became a brighter shade of red, "Nariko-chan, what are you...doing?" she asked, feeling a little uneasy from the younger girl's strange behavior._

_"In order for you to blush like that around me because of him, you must of really liked Sasuke in the past." She pointed out. 'Indeed she did, but I wonder if it's still there...'_

_Sakura was now only inches away from Nariko's face and there was only one question that was running through her mind. 'Umm, is she going to...?'_

_"Isn't it obvious?" Nariko asked as she leaned in closer, almost nose to nose with pink-haired girl. "Sakura, will you...?"_

_Sakura's eyes widen from the fact that her thoughts were read by the girl, "N-Nariko-chan...?" her lips started to quiver and her blush intensified. 'Okay! Time to panic!'_

_**INNER SAKURA**_

_"SHANAROO! Don't just stand there, do something! She's gonna kiss you!"_

_"Sakura-chan..." Nariko said her name with a such a need..._

_"Uh..uh..." Sakura's face was now a bright red from Nariko bringing her face so dangerously close to hers. The only thing she could at this point to save herself from total embarrassment was to close her eyes so she wouldn't see what happens._

**XxX**

"It turned out that she had some broth on her cheek and I wanted to get it off for her, but she thought I was going to kiss her!" Nariko said and she entered a laughing fit. It wasn't long before Naruto was laughing right along with her.

Sakura hung her head down low in shame and in embarrassment. She wanted nothing more than to crawl in a corner and wilt away like a dead flower.

Miyuki felt so bad for Sakura. Against Naruto and Nariko, she didn't stand a chance. They were a dangerous force to be reckon with. "Are you okay, Sakura-chan?"

"Awww...What's wrong, Sakura? Are you mad that it didn't happen?" Sakura blushed from the young raven's assumption, which made Nariko smirked a devious grin. "Let's give them a little fanservice, shall we?"

Before Sakura had a chance to protest, Nariko grabbed the pink-haired girl by her chin and had Sakura facing her with a predatory look on her face. "Nariko...don't do it..."

Before going any further, Nariko had stopped to see that all the males in the studios had some serious nosebleeds. Some were passed out on the floor, some were standing there like statues as the red liquid frequently flowed from their nostrils. Even Naruto was having a nosebleed, using up almost all of the tissue that was in the box. "All right...moving on..." The Nariko said nervously, thinking now would be a good time to stop. "Sakura, what about you?"

"Hmmm..." Sakura took the remote from Nariko and pressed the 'next clip' button and played the next clip...

**XxX**

_"Naruto? Nariko? What are you doing here?" She asked._

_"Well, Gaara and Temari are here and-"_

_"I'm well aware of that, Naruto. I was supposed to meet them at the village gates." Sakura said sternly. "What's the matter?"_

_"Sakura-chan, Gaara is...Gaara is..."_

_Sakura asked raising an eyebrow, "Gaara is what exactly?"_

_It may not be something that she wants to hear but Naruto might as well come out and say it. __"He's gay!"_

_Sakura's eye twitched a little from Naruto's answer, "He's...what?" she inquired, not sure that she heard him right._

_'And it's going downhill from here...' Nariko thought._

_"That's right! He is! He told me that himself! He-" His voice trailed when he noticed Sakura's strange expression. She had her hands covering her mouth, holding in stifled giggles._

_"Uh...Sakura-chan, what are you-"_

_But Naruto was cut off by Sakura's uncontrollable outburst of giggles. Naruto wondered what was so funny about this situation. One of his best friends was gay and he didn't find it funny one bit. Maybe she'll tell him what's so funny when she stops laughing._

_"Naruto, Gaara is not gay!" Sakura reassured between laughs and Naruto just stood there looking like a complete fool._

_"He-He's not?" He asked unsure of what she said is true._

_"No, silly!" Sakura answered and her giggles soon turned into laughter._

_It didn't take long before Nariko started laughing right along with Sakura. This was too good of a moment to pass up by not laughing._

_"Nariko!" Naruto whined clearly not liking the fact that Nariko was now laughing at him._

_"Sorry, Naruto. I couldn't resist!" Nariko said in between her laughs._

_The two girls hold hugged each other to trying to stop laughing but it wasn't helping and made them laugh even more. Naruto rolled his eyes, waiting for the two laughing kunoichi to calm down from their little giggle fit, "Ha! Ha! Ha! Very funny!" He said with sarcasm._

**XxX**

Now Sakura, Nariko, and even Miyuki were laughing at Naruto. He had forgotten all about that, but how else would he react when he thought that Gaara was gay. That was nothing to make a joke about. Gaara is his best friend, you know. "Okay! Stop laughing!" Naruto yelled getting frustrated.

"Okay. Okay. Miyuki, what about you?" Sakura asked giving the blonde the remote. Miyuki had blushed when she thought who had made her very happy during her time away from her sister.

"Well, I met a friend during my journey and he's been really kind and sweet to me..." Miyuki said and she pressed the 'next clip' button on the remote as well. "This is the moment where we first met..."

**XxX**

_On the screen was Miyuki and a white-haired young man with shark teeth and the two of them were...standing in a hot spring together? The blonde had a white towel wrapped around her body and the guy was half naked!_

_The water nin licked his lips across his rows of sharp teeth. Miyuki couldn't get away, because he had a death grip on her waist. She had liked him as a friend and all, but this was going way too far! Suigetsu leaned in slowly, his eyes at half mast as he tilted his head to the side. Miyuki's blush intensified as he was coming closer to her. She had to admit that looking into his eyes, he looked quite...sexy with that face._

_'Just a little more and those lips will be mine...!' Suigetsu thought._

_Just when the kiss was about to happen, the screen goes black._

**XxX**

Miyuki scrambled with the remote and she turned the TV off completely. "Hehehe...wrong clip..." She answered nervously, hoping that they wouldn't make a big deal out of it. Sakura was blushing madly and she now had a nosebleed. Naruto and Nariko's eyes were twitching in annoyance from what they had just seen. That's not what friends did when they first met!

"WHO THE HELL WAS THAT, MIYUKI?" Nariko bellowed, clearly not liking the thought of her baby sister almost getting deflowered on live television. '**I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE DUDE AND I ALREADY DON'T LIKE HIM! DID HE SEDUCE YOU?**"

"Well, he..." Miyuki started.

"**A GIRL AND A BOY SHOULD NOT BE NAKED IN A HOT SPRING TOGETHER!**" Naruto hollered in near hysterics. "**WHAT WAS HE DOING IN THERE?**"

"About that, he..." The blonde tried again to tell them for a second time.

"And now it's time for Naruto's favorite clip of the whole series!" Sakura said as Naruto took out the spare remote that he had and pressed the 'red button' on the remote...

**XxX**

_"I can't take it anymore. I've done everything I wanted to do in my life and I'm still not happy. I can't be happy knowing that you still feel hatred towards me. I know I've made some stupid mistakes in my life and I'm regretting every single one of them, but the only thing I don't regret is meeting you...becoming rivals...being best friends with you...and falling in love with you..." Sasuke confessed while he dipped Naruto's back a little bit and intertwine his hand into Naruto's and grips it firmly. The blond was now looking up at the raven, completely overwhelmed by his words._

_"Sasuke?" Naruto pleaded. "What are you saying?"_

_Sasuke gently caressed his whiskered cheek, "Naruto...I love you." he finally said._

_Naruto couldn't believe it. Sasuke had just told him he loved him. Naruto had so many doubts about being together with Sasuke and all those doubts were obliterated the moment Sasuke uttered those three special words to him. Naruto can rest easy now knowing that Sasuke feels the same way about him. If there is a time to tell Sasuke the same thing, this would be the best time._

_"I...I love you, too, Sasuke..." Naruto confessed and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck._

_Naruto and Sasuke slowly lean in until they were inches away and they pressed their lips together. The feeling was nice, sweet, loving, and innocent. They both thought it would be appropriate to dub this kiss their first...since their actually first was awkward and completely by accident. After a few more seconds, they parted a bit to catch their breaths._

**XxX**

The only sound that were heard throughout the whole building was crickets chirping. No one made a sound. No one dared to make a move. Then, Naruto theatrical screams broke the silence in the whole room.

"Soft yaoi..." Sakura said in a heavenly tone and she passed out on the floor. The pink-haired girl had a smile on her face and she was giggling like a horny school girl.

Nariko thought she was going to throw up and poor Miyuki covered her eyes. They didn't need to see that.

"**AAAHHHHH! TURN IT OFF! TURN IT OFF!**" the blond desperately pressed the button to turn it off, but it wasn't working. He was in near tears as his virgin eyes were being raped over and over again by the kissing scene being on constant repeat. "**IT WON'T TURN OFF!**"

"Jesus Christ, Naruto..." Nariko took the remote from him and turned the TV off. "You pressed the 'yaoi button' by accident, dumbass..."

Miyuki decided to take over, since she had calm down considerably from being embarrassed earlier. "Well, that's all for this crazy random special! Thanks for watching us! And as a special treat for the readers, we're gonna give you a special sneak peek for what's to come...for Part 2 of Changing Fate!"

"PART 2?" Naruto and Nariko exclaimed while the two of them were trying to snap Sakura out of her yaoi daze.

"Yep! Watch this!" Miyuki pressed the 'special surprise' button on the remote and the TV came on...

* * *

_The battle may be over for now but it's only the beginning...Now the girls face new adventures and their new dangers in a...hospital room?_

_"I hate the hospital. I hate the freaking hospital!" Nariko spat in anger with her arms crossed._

_"Look at this way, Nariko. At least we're together again...in the same room." Miyuki said trying to cheer her up._

_"Hn...!" Nariko growled in response, "Stuck in the hospital for almost half the story line! I can't wait for it!" she said drenching every word with sarcasm._

**NEW RIVALRIES!**

_"Four eyes!"_

_"Blondie!"_

_"Witch!"_

_"Hag!"_

_Karin and Ino stare each other down in a brutal face off._

_"We set ourselves up for this, didn't we?" Shikamaru said shaking his head in disappointment from Ino's behavior. "This is only going to be even more troublesome."_

_"You said it." Choji agreed._

_Nariko growled furiously at the water-nin. "Asshole!"_

_"Chibi-chan!" Suigetsu chided back because she reminded him of Sasuke, but she was nothing like him._

_"Whitehead!" Nariko smirked in triumph as he seem even more annoyed._

_'This girl...is worse than Karin...!' Suigetsu thought as he and Nariko stared each other down with electricity flying around them._

_"Oh boy..." Miyuki said frightened. "Those two...This is NOT going to work..."_

**NEW FRIENDS!**

_"My name is Sarina Tomoe. Nice to meet all of you!" The redhead wink at everyone but all she got in return was confused looks. "Well, this is a fine way to greet a shinobi..." She said in a flat tone._

**HIDDEN SECRETS!**

_"Nariko, why do you act the way you do?" Naruto asked. "I don't understand."_

_Because...my family were killed...right before my very eyes!"_

**XxX**

_"Miyuki, I'll let you in...about my past. The premature death of my older brother, Mangetsu Hozuki and the Seven Swordsman of the Mist." Suigetsu finally said._

_"Your...older brother...?" Miyuki asked._

**NEW ADVENTURES!**

_"In order for you to become our comrades, Team Taka is gonna have to take the Konoha Shinobi Alliance Exam." Shizune explained to the group._

_"Say what?" Karin yelled in anger. "No interrogation?"_

_"Don't push it, red-head." Tsunade seethed._

_"This is your new leader of Team Taka or should I say Team 5." Tsunade announced_

_'Out of all people, why did it have to be her?' Suigetsu thought when he found out who it was._

**ROMANCE!**

_"Sasuke, what's gonna happen to us?" Naruto questioned._

_Sasuke shook his head. He really doesn't know how to respond to what Naruto just said to him._

_"I don't know, Naruto...I just don't know..." He answers and hugged Naruto for all his worth._

**XxX**

_"I don't...really know how to say this but..." Miyuki started. "I'm just gonna come out and say it..."_

_Suigetsu wasn't sure about she was trying to say, but he simply nodded, prompting her to continue._

_"I guess what I'm trying to say is..." Miyuki gulped hard and her breath hitched from being so nervous. She turned around and she smiled warmly before finally having the courage to say what she had always wanted to say to him. "...I've fallen in love with you, Suigetsu-kun..."_

**DRAMA!**

_"Sasuke-kun, if you want Naruto's compassion, then you're gonna have to fight me in order to get it." Sakura declared getting in her battle stance._

_Sasuke couldn't believe what Sakura was saying to him. He had never heard anything so far-fetched._

_"A fight for his compassion?" Sasuke questioned and he also gets into his battle stance. "You must be joking..." He smirked._

**XxX**

_"This is not gonna be easy. How are we suppose to tell them that were are their daughters in the future, knowing that it's genetically impossible for men to have children?" Miyuki asked. "And the real mystery is...how were we born into this world?"_

_Nariko shrugged. "Beats me. All I know is they're gonna find out at some point and we'll figure out how we were born..."_

_Everyone around the table tensed up from the girls' story._

_"The battle is just beginning..." Nariko explained. "If we don't stop the leader of the 'Bakudai', all is lost..."_

_"Who is the leader...?"_

_"His name is Touran. He's a very dangerous and malicious man who sucks away his opponent's chakra and drinks it in order to regain his power."_

_"Nariko, I'm not sure what you mean?" Naruto said confused._

_"Naruto, if you don't let go of that hatred and anger, it's going to be the very thing that kills you in the end. Make the right decision or that tragedy will repeat itself again..."_

**HEARTBREAK!**

_"Nariko, why must we continue to lose the ones we love? WHY?" Miyuki asked._

_Nariko doesn't answer her sister's question._

_"I can't continue to fight knowing that I'm gonna lose! I quit. It's over..."_

**PAIN!**

_"You're leaving, aren't you Naruto?" Sasuke concluded._

_Naruto's face sadden from Sasuke's response, "It's the only way to save the world from total annihilation..."_

_"Naruto, please don't do this..." Sasuke pleaded._

_"What choice do I have, Sasuke? I am not going to let Touran destroy this world."_

* * *

**IF YOU THOUGHT PART 1 WAS GOOD, YOU HAVEN'T SEEN NOTHING YET!**

The next story arc in Part 2 of Changing Fate is:

**SASUKE'S RETRIBUTION ARC**

SEE YOU NEXT TIME!


	27. Chapter 21: Returning to Konoha

CHAPTER 21

**Returning to Konoha**  
_(木の葉に戻る Konoha ni Modoru)_

Naruto, Sasuke, and everyone else traveled through the countless trees and branches in silence as they made their way back to Konoha. While traveling, Sasuke wondered how people would react to his return to the village. Since he's been gone for so long, he wouldn't be surprised if people gave him horrified stares or hate glares. He was fine with it and he didn't care what anybody else thought about him. He was returning home and there was nothing that anyone could do about it. The only people that would have a say in this matter would be the Hokage and the Feudal Lords in the Land of Fire.

Sasuke had turned around to see if his teammates had caught up yet, but he didn't see them nor could he sense their chakra. Another thing that was on his mind was what would happen to Taka? The fighting with the Bakudai was over and they haven't returned yet. Was the team all right? Did they fall in battle? Was the opponent too much for them even with Miyuki's help? He didn't want to think the worst, but he was slowly edging over to the conclusion that his partners were killed in battle. He only hoped that it wasn't the case. Even though they were together as a unit for a short amount of time, Taka was like his extended family and it wouldn't be right if they fulfilled their promise yet something had happened to them in the process.

Now the thing that really bothered him was dealing with the Village Elders. Even though they had nothing to do with what Danzo had done with Madara, they were partially responsible for the fall of the Uchiha Clan. Would he be able to keep his cool around them when he had to go to the Hokage's Mansion to question his punishment about his defection from the village? He knew in his heart that trying to do that would be extremely difficult for him. Even though Sasuke knew the REAL truth behind the Uchiha Massacre, he still couldn't forgive them for what they've done.

"Sasuke-kun..."

Sasuke was pulled away from his thoughts when he heard the voice of the pinkette calling him. He looked at her and his face twisted slightly in anger from what happened earlier. Sasuke didn't expect Sakura off all people to openly attack him like that.

"I had made an incorrect assumption and for that, I'm sorry for trying to attack you earlier. I know that you wouldn't take a person's life without a legitimate reason and I apologize for that." The pinkette said with sincerity.

"Hn..." Sasuke muttered, but he figured that was his own fault since he held the blood-covered kodachi in his hand and was leaning over Nariko's body like he _had_killed her. Sasuke couldn't blame her for reacting the way she did. Hell, anyone would of reacted that way.

"But we're glad you're returning home to us, Sasuke-kun." Sakura smiled brightly, trying to forget even attacking him at all, but it wasn't working. "Isn't that great, Naruto?"

The blond doesn't answer and continued to run through the trees, which made Sasuke and the others stare at him with an incredulous look.

"Naruto?" Sakura said again, but Naruto didn't hear her. He was too busy trying to figure out how things were going to be handled once they've got back to the village.

Sasuke noticed that Naruto was acting very strange ever since Team 7 reunited in Konoha Forest. He was expecting the blond to cry tears of joy and hugged him for finally returning home, but that didn't turn out to be the case. Instead, the blond didn't do that; he simply smiled and carried on. Not that he wanted the hug or the tears to happen or anything; it just seemed really out of character for the charismatic blond.

"Naruto." Sasuke called. "Sakura is talking to you."

Naruto broke away from his thoughts when he heard the raven's voice. "Oh! Sorry, Sakura-chan. I'm happy that he's coming home and everything, but I'm much more concerned about Nariko here..." The blond said, which caused Sasuke to look at the young girl that Naruto was carrying on his back.

Nariko, the ravenette was what intrigued Sasuke the most. Sakura had used her medical ninjutsu and healed her earlier from that gash she had in her stomach. Even though she was healed from that wound, she had lost a fair amount of blood and she has to be admitted in the hospital. She was something that Sasuke had wanted to know more about. From what he saw earlier when she was unconscious, he couldn't help but wonder who she really was and the same could be said about Miyuki. He knew that, but that would have to be for another time. Naruto was acting differently and Sasuke could sense a serious change was occurring within the blond and to him, that was not a good sign.

"Aww, man! I really wanted to fight one of the 'Bakudai' that Nariko-san fought!" Kiba complained and Akamaru followed with a whine of discontent.

"I'm sorry, Kiba-kun. Maybe we can let loose the next time." Hinata said and she winked, comforting the brunette the best way she could. After all, she was Kiba's girlfriend.

Now here was the real question. Would the rest of Konoha 11 would be able to tolerate and forgive him for all the sins and crimes that he committed in the past? And would they be able to accept his partners and get along with them? He knows very well that trying to get back on the good side of the village would not be easy, but he wanted to start over and try to do the right thing. He wanted to carry out Itachi's will of peace, but he was gonna do it his way.

Naruto looked back at the raven-haired boy he had grown to love over the years and he couldn't help but smile genuinely at Sasuke with a bright smile. Even though he wasn't showing his real feelings like he should have done earlier, he was very happy that Sasuke was coming back and what made it even better was that he came back on his own. He didn't have to chase Sasuke anymore, which made feel even more ecstatic about the exciting things to come. Team 7 can train together again, hang out again after missions again, and rekindle their friendship, just like old times. But the thing he wanted to do more than anything in the world was to just tell Sasuke how much he loved him and hopefully Sasuke felt the same way.

Sasuke felt the blond's eyes on him and he smirked at him with that famous Uchiha smirk of his. Naruto blinked at him in confusion and because of that, he lost his footing on a tree trunk. As he began to fall, Kiba was fast enough to grabbed Nariko from tumbling down with him and the blond screamed as he fell face first into the ground. The gang stopped and marveled at the accident-prone blond trying to get his head from out of the ground. Kiba shook his head in disappointment from Naruto losing focus so easily. With a little help from Sakura, she grabbed his leg and pulled him out like a bad weed.

"Naruto-kun, are you okay?" Hinata asked in concern.

"Yeah..." Naruto sat up and rubbed his head, wincing in pain. "Sasuke made me lose my balance..."

Sasuke smirked and turned the other direction. "It's not my fault you can't stay focus and your clumsiness almost killed the girl you were carrying, dobe."

That little remark upset Naruto. Sasuke wasn't even in the village yet and he was already starting with him with the name calling. Naruto can handle that, but he was not gonna stand there and let Sasuke disrespect Nariko like she was irrelevant. "The girl's name is Nariko, Sasuke and it is your fault, teme."

"No, it isn't, dobe." Sasuke shot back.

"Yes it is!" Naruto spat at him.

"No, it isn't."

"Yes it-"

"Enough already! We don't have time for this! Nariko still needs to get to the hospital! Her life is still at stake! You two can throw insults and bite each other's heads off later!" Sakura cut in, clearly having enough of their bickering. She was happy that they were arguing again, but this was not the time for it.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan..." Naruto apologized with a sheepish grin on his face.

Afterwards, the gang made an effort to get back to the village in order to get Nariko admitted to the hospital.

**xXx**

In Konoha, two Jonin were waiting at the front gates, waiting for Naruto and the others to return. One of them had light gray hair that defied gravity and his forehead protector covered his left eye. The other one had short, brown hair and he wore a masked-style forehead protector, similar to that of the late Tobirama Senju. Both of them were clad in standard Konoha-nin attire.

"Kakashi-sempai, shouldn't they be back by now?" Yamato asked, looking for any signs of them from beyond the distance.

"It's been 5 hours since they left to go look for Nariko, but they should be back soon." Kakashi confirmed as he adjusted his forehead protector over his eye.

Kakashi and Yamato were away on a mission while this whole time-travel business was going on. When the two of them had returned, Tsunade had filled them in on what was happening. Kakashi was curious about the fact that Nariko had favored Sasuke in some way. Yamato just wanted to know was the team able to handle the 'Bakudai' on their own without Kakashi or himself to help them.

"Kakashi-sensei!" The white-haired jonin heard his name from the distance.

"Sempai." Yamato said and pointed in the direction where the voice was coming from.

Kakashi looked ahead and saw several figures running towards them. Yamato recognized all of them from the bunch, especially Sasuke since he had fought with him trying to bring him back to Konoha. The copy nin's eyes widen in surprise when he saw a certain raven within the group of shinobi. He smiled behind his mask and crossed his arms around his chest. _'Well, well, well. . .The wonders never cease. Naruto managed to bring him back home...'_

When they were close enough, the gang came to a halt in front of them and started to catch their breaths. "Naruto, I see that everyone came back safely..." Kakashi stated.

"Yeah...and look who's here! It's Sasuke-teme!" He grinned, pointing over at missing nin.

"Stop calling me that..." Sasuke sneered.

Kakashi stepped forward and his smile grew under his mask. He was happy to see one of his pupils again and they were even arguing, which was a plus in his book that things were going to be okay. "Welcome back, Sasuke..."

Sasuke simply nodded and stared at Naruto with that stoic face of his. Kakashi then noticed the girl on Kiba's back. He couldn't help but stare at her in amazement at the young girl's resemblance to Sasuke. _'Is that's what she looks like when she's unconscious, the similarity would really show when she's awake...'_

"Kakashi-sensei, I healed most of Nariko's injuries, but since she lost a lot of blood in the battle, she's gonna need a blood transfusion in order for her to be in stable condition. It seems that Sasuke-kun had other allies with him, but they haven't caught up with us yet." Sakura analyzed.

Miyuki was still out there and this made Naruto worried about her safety and wanting to go back out there and find her, but they had to take care of Sasuke first. That was their No.1 priority at the moment.

"This is what we're gonna do. Naruto, Yamato and I will accompany Sasuke back to the Hokage's Mansion. Hinata and Kiba will hand in the mission report at the Mission Assignment Desk. And Sakura, you will wait here for the others to arrive and take them to the hospital to treat their wounds and we'll take it from there." Kakashi explained.

"Kakashi-sensei, if she wait for the others, then Nariko can possibly die and I don't think Sakura have the things she would need to complete a blood transfusion here!" Kiba stepped in.

"Perhaps I can be of some assistance." A voice spoke and a shadow landed next to Yamato. It had turned out to be Team 7's artist and their last member, Sai. "I'll take care of it."

"Sai? Where did you come from?" Naruto asked.

"Sakura is right. Waiting here will not be good for Nariko's health, You take her to the hospital to treat her injuries and I'll wait for the others to come here. After they arrive, I'll bring them to the hospital." Sai answered with a sincere smile.

"You would do that? Oh, thank you so much, Sai..." Sakura smiled warmly at the artist who being so gracious with his offer. Now she can do what she has to do without fear. Kiba carefully handed Nariko over to Sakura. "Don't worry, Nariko. Everything's gonna be all right..."

When the eyes of the two dark-haired shinobi met one another, the hostility they had towards each other rose to an unimaginable high.

"Uchiha." Sai said curtly, looking at the boy that gave Naruto and Sakura so much hell, pain, and suffering with his defection. Now he was back in the picture. In honesty, he considered Sasuke an arrogant bastard who doesn't deserve compassion and he does not feel sympathy towards him.

"Replacement." Sasuke said bluntly, eying the boy who resembled him in physical appearance. Sasuke couldn't believe that this...knockoff replaced him. It was absurd and unheard off. The raven did not want to have anything to do with him, especially since he tried to kill him on a mission.

"Okay...Maybe not..." Sakura chuckled slightly from the display of hate towards the two black-haired shinobi. The team was a whole again, but would Sai and Sasuke be able to get along? She highly doubts it, but it's worth a shot, right? The last thing they needed was unnecessary tension.

"Now that everyone knows what to do, let's head out!" Kakashi announced to the group of shinobi and Sakura headed onwards to Konoha Hospital while Kiba and Hinata left to report the mission a success, even though Nariko was injured.

Naruto turned to Sasuke and said to him, "Are you ready...?" in a cautious way, knowing that the minute Sasuke walked through those gates, he was gonna get the reactions he knew was going to received - glares, whispers of disapproval, and the turning of backs.

Sasuke knew that and he was ready to face it head on...and the consequences that awaits him once he got inside...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:

**Sakura, The Miracle Medic**  
_(サクラ,奇跡の衛生兵_ _Sakura, Kiseki no Eisei-Hei)_

Suigetsu and the others arrived in Konoha and Sai takes them to the hospital so Sakura nurse them back to health...


	28. Chapter 22: A New Start

CHAPTER 22

**A New Start**  
_(_新開始 _Shin Kaishi)_

Sasuke and Naruto looked at the huge village gates that concealed everything that Sasuke had left behind when he left and now after four years, he was about to walk through those gates once again. As the gates opened up, Naruto looked over at Sasuke and he instantly saw how uncomfortable he was from coming back home after being away for so long. He sensed that it would feel strange, but Naruto would be here to make sure that nothing won't happen to him.

"Sasuke..." Kakashi said to him with a small smile, showing sincere gratitude. "I just want you know that I'm happy that you're back with us, but I also apologize in advance for what I'm about to do..."

"Do what?" Naruto has asked in suspicion, not liking how Kakashi had said that. "What are you gonna do?"

Not answering him, the copy nin walked up to Sasuke while doing various hand signs and his hands glowed a light blue aura. Stopping a few inches in front of the raven, the chakra that was surrounding Kakashi's hand were now transferring to that of Sasuke's wrists. Naruto watched as the chakra formed some sort of ring around the raven's wrists and chakra also connected the two together, making it impossible to try and break them.

"What the hell are those, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked confused, now observing the new circular binds that looked something like restraints, which is exactly what they were. Restraints. They were really putting restraints on Sasuke.

"I've heard of those before..." Sai appeared from behind the group, coming to see what was happening. "...but I never thought I would actually see one."

"Naruto, they are Chakra Seal Cuffs. When a defected ninja or a missing nin leaves from their respective village and return, we have to put these on them to prevent them from trying anything funny or attempting to escape. It's a safety precaution that all shinobi use when dealing with criminals." Yamato explained.

Naruto cringed in his mind when Yamato said the word "criminal". Even though that Yamato was speaking in general and not directly towards Sasuke, the word still didn't suit the raven at all. Some of the things that Sasuke did may have been on the borderline of being felonious, but he was still Naruto's friend, not a criminal, not an enemy, not even a rogue ninja! Sasuke was his friend and Naruto was not gonna let them do this.

"Yamato-taicho, he's not gonna go anywhere if I'm right here! Didn't I say that I would make sure that he wouldn't leave out of my sight once we got back here?" Naruto tried to reason with them, because there was no need to put those restraints on him. "Take the cuffs off!"

"It's an order from the higher ups, Naruto. We simply can't take them off. The elders had caught wind that Sasuke was returning here, so they took action before we even knew anything about it. They got to Lady Hokage first and made her agree to taking such precautions. He has to keep them on until further notice..." Kakashi concluded even further.

While Naruto continued to ramble on and on about how his former friend should not be entitled to wear those cuffs, Sasuke's anger had suddenly returned when they mentioned the elders and he tuned Naruto out. They were already making things more difficult for him and he hasn't even entered the village yet. Right now, turning around and leaving again didn't seem like a bad idea. It would be a whole lot better than having to deal with those people. But he had already told himself that was not gonna run away from it anymore. He was going to face the consequences. If the first step meant being cuffed and constricting his chakra and having to walk through the village streets looking like he was about to get executed, then so be it.

And so he walked ahead of them, taking slow steps as he stared in front of him while leaving the others behind. He didn't want to hear Naruto complained about what was right and what was wrong. Sasuke just wanted to go ahead, take the punishment and get this shit over with. It was irritating that Naruto was willing to go to such lengths for him. He had to admit, though. Naruto's persistence was really something admirable for a shinobi to have and he was somewhat glad that only he had that quality. Anyone else who had it couldn't even live up to Naruto's caliber for it.

Kakashi and Yamato noticed that Sasuke was leaving them and they soon followed him, keeping close tabs on him. Naruto quickly went after them, but not before telling his pale-skinned teammate in a calm yet serious voice, "Sai, I'm counting on you."

As the group slowly started to disappear into the village, Sai only shook his head in disapproval. _'Uchiha, the only thing waiting for you when you get there is a permanent jail cell. Naruto won't be able to do anything to save you for what's gonna happen...'_

With that, Sai leaned his body against the wooden wall of the gate and decided to wait on Sasuke's teammates to get here like he said he would.

**XxX**

As Suigetsu and the others hurried throughout the forest, Miyuki was trying to keep up with them, but the eschars that she gained from fighting Ami earlier were eating away at her leg muscles. She knew the effects of her former teacher's flower jutsu, but she had no idea that it would have this kind of effect on her. Because of this, she was having a hard time keeping up with the others. Every now and then, Jugo would look over his shoulder to see if she was all right and she would give him a fake smile to reassure him.

Of course, Suigetsu saw right through that and knew that they had to hurry and get to Konoha. He was suffering from multiple shocks of electrical charges through his Chakra Network and he was starting to lose consciousness. But as stubborn as he was, he kept on pushing himself and ignored the pain. He called it a pride thing. Karin on the other hand was still suffering from her neck injury. Even though Miyuki had healed her with her Light Ray Healing Jutsu, it wasn't much compared to what a certified medical ninja could do.

And Jugo was showing signs of severe blunt trauma to his back from being slammed forcibly into the ground during that fight. Despite all the damage he took for the team, he was still able to move around freely like nothing didn't even happen to him. Team Taka always wondered what Sasuke's village was like when they had first became a unit and now, they were going to get that chance.

"Damn it!" Suigetsu spoke in distress, breaking the silence. "Aren't we there yet?"

"We don't have long now. The clearing is just up ahead! Just a few more minutes and we'll be there soon!" Miyuki said as they continued to run inside the forest.

"How do you know the way to get there?" Jugo asked.

"Because I am a shinobi from the Village Hidden in the Leaves from my time. See?" Miyuki smiled as she pointed to them the symbol that was engraved on her hitai-ite.

"Well, that would explain it..." Karin answered.

A few minutes later, Miyuki and the others had made it to the village entrance. From the side, Sai had seen the group of shinobi coming towards him. The artist looked at each shinobi individually and analyzed them one by one. They seem okay and somewhat different, but as long as they weren't nothing like Sasuke, then he was sure he could...deal with them in his own way.

"You must be Uchiha's partners..." The artist greeted in a curt manner from the distance. "My name is Sai."

Coming to a stop in front of him, the group of shinobi had their hands resting on their knees, taking in small pants of breath. They haven't stopped running for the past hour and they were seriously exhausted. The first thing that Taka had noticed was how Sai had a similar physical appearance like Sasuke. The difference was that he had very pale skin, his hair was short and ink black, and his expression was somewhat miffed, which really irked them to no end.

Sai had raised his eyebrow at them with distrust evident in his eyes, but the one who caught his attention was the blonde kunoichi that was with them. Light blue eyes, cream blonde hair, clad in orange and black. Sai's eyes widen from how much she had favored the knucklehead on his team. His mind was brimming with questions that needed to be answered. _'Who is this girl? Is she related to Naruto somehow...?'_

Miyuki had tilted to her head to the side in confusion from Sai observing her so hard. "Ummm, Is there something wrong?"

Suigetsu didn't like the way Sai was staring at her, but he knew just by looking at his pure black eyes that he was just trying to figure out who they were, or more specifically, who Miyuki was. And then it hit Sai. Miyuki had to be Nariko's sister that he had heard about from the young ravenette. If that was true, then..._'No way... Miyuki and Nariko's parents are...'_

"I really hate to cut this short..." A voice threatened with a hint of irritability. Everyone turned their attention to the female sensory nin. "But can we please get some medical attention? Some of us are really hurt here!"

"Geez, Karin. Wannabe right here is trying to figure out who we are and you're acting all crazy?" Suigetsu said, angered by the red head's outburst.

"Wanna...what?" Sai asked, baffled and somewhat agitated by the nickname that the water nin had somehow given him. He had no room to talk about giving bad nicknames...

"Jesus, woman! Don't you care about anyone but yourself?"

"Says you, Suigetsu!"

"Suigetsu, Karin, stop it!" Jugo ordered, stepping in between them. He couldn't take too much more of their continuous arguing.

"This team just screams 'dysfunction'..." Sai cut in, getting everyone around him to stop arguing and to glare at him with questionable looks. "It's nothing short of a miracle that Uchiha didn't pull his hair out by now..."

Karin didn't like the fact that Sai, this carbon copy, had just disrespected Sasuke and she was not gonna let that slide. So, she let go of Suigetsu and walked up to him, both hands curled up in fists on either side of her and ready to fight him. "You don't know nothing about Sasuke or what he's been through, so shut it!"

"Do you want to stand here and argue? Or do you want to get medical attention?" Sai asked, stating the obvious truth about Sasuke and his past actions. "Besides, you defending Sasuke just makes you guys look like worthless tools who obeys his every command. I'm sorry, but your _precious_Sasuke is nothing but an arrogant asshole who only cares about his well being."

Karin growled in a low tone, not liking Sai at all the slightest bit. In any case, he was being a complete asshole to them, despite them being outsiders to Konoha. There was no need for him to be so rude. "**It's you who's gonna need medical attention!**" The red-head screeched in anger, ready to fight Sai in the condition she was in, but Jugo had held her back in order to keep Karin from hurting herself even further.

In a nearby tree, someone or to be more precise, a silhouette was sitting on one of the branches with their legs crossed, apparently enjoying the little verbal scouffle that was happening between Sai and Karin. From seeing this, the person's full lips curved into a playful smile that was filled with happiness and mischief. Sensing someone was nearby with her chakra, Karin turned around and glared at the tree where she had felt the chakra signature.

Her red eyes narrowed and roamed from the right to the left, trying to see if that person would come out and show themselves. _'There's no mistake about it. Someone is out there watching us...'_

"Karin, what are you doing?" Suigetsu called out to her, but she wasn't listening to him. He thought that she was just zoning out, but that was unlikely. "Hello? Anybody home in there?"

Miyuki looked up at the tree as well. Her curved eyebrow rose slightly from what was happening and she contemplated who it could possibly be, but she was coming up with a blank. She couldn't figure out who it was. _'Did Sakura-sensei send someone else here already...? Or is it the Bakudai again...'_

"Are you hard of hearing, Ugly?" Sai asked, trying to get her attention, which he soon got when she glaring back at him with a unspeakable vice. "There's nothing out there..."

"Shut up, you fucking bastard!" Karin yelled back at him, adjusting her glasses so hard that she could crack them. "Nobody asked for your goddamn opinion!"

The person in the tree however let out a soft chuckle of amusement and their smile grew into a smirk. "Interesting..." the mysterious person whispered in the shadows of the leaves and they suddenly disappeared from out of the tree in an instant, not leaving behind a single trace of their essence.

_'Well, whoever it was, they're gone now...'_Miyuki turned her attention back to the others. Suigetsu and Jugo were more concerned about Karin than about themselves.

"Karin, I seriously think that kick to your neck knocked some screws loose from your head." Suigetsu joked and laughed about it while Miyuki glared at him with disapproval from saying such a thing.

"Let's go to the hospital, already..." Sai cut in rudely, getting tired of waiting around and not doing what he was suppose to do. "Come on, Ugly. You can use your colorful language on some poor unfortunate person later..."

And with that last comment, he vanished in a flurry of leaves.

Karin growled furiously and grounded her teeth in aggravation, wanting nothing more than to pulverize and beat the living shit of Sai with every fiber of her being. She had never had met someone like him and Sai was making Suigetsu seem tolerable, which has never happened...until now... "Colorful, huh? He'll have black and blue all over that pale moon skin of his when I'm through with him!"

Miyuki glanced up at the sky as she took in the sweet scent of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It made her smile to be back in her old home. "It's great to be back home and I missed this bright and warm feeling that the village emits now. Nariko, I'll see you soon...I hope..."

The four shinobi disappeared as well, following Sai so they can get to the hospital. At that moment, the same person that was hiding in the trees from earlier had appeared in front of the village gate and was standing on top of it, taking in the marvelous sight of the village. Placing a hand on their hip, the person just ran a hand through their hair and smiled. After looking for a little while longer, thes mysterious person had vanished as well.

**XxX**

In a white clean room, a young raven-haired girl was now resting her head on a white pillow in a comfortable bed. The calm breeze from outside the open window was cooling and relaxing and the girl had woke up in her bed, stretching slightly. She felt a little chilly and she soon realized that she was only wearing bandages that were wrapped from her chest to her stomach. She screech and panicked, grabbing the shirt that happened to be on a counter next to her and put it on.

There was another bed next to her, but it was empty so she didn't have to worry about punching somebody's lights out for trying to peek at her. Getting up out of bed and slipping on the slippers that were next to her on the floor, she started to check out her surroundings. The walls were painted a bluish-grayish color, the floors were made of tile, and the place reeked of medicine. She groaned when she finally figured out where she was.

"Great. I'm in the freaking hospital." Nariko concluded in a flat tone. "I hate the fucking hospital..."

Next, she heard someone knocking on the door from outside and Nariko looked at the door with an incredulous look. She was in a hospital for god sake! No one was gonna come after her and try to kill her or something along those lines, but she could never be too careful.

"Come in..." Nariko said from the other side of the other and a familiar face peeked in from the side with a bright smile. The ravenette couldn't help but smile back when she saw who it was. "Sakura..."

"Nariko, I see that you're up and about..." Sakura said slightly annoyed, writing down everything on her clipboard and trying very hard not to chastise Nariko for being out of bed. "...which you should not be doing at all..."

"I woke up just now, Sakura." Nariko said gazing at the pinkette, crossing her arms over her chest with a prankish smirk on her face. "Cut me a little bit of slack, okay? Hospitals are really not my thing..."

"Unless you want to stay in here longer than you have to, then I suggest you get back into bed and rest. You might want to do that for your sake and mine..." Sakura warned her jokingly, hoping that the girl would listen to her and not want to deal with any serious repercussions.

"And why is that? Because you'll use your brute strength to punish me?" Nariko asked and she let out an enervated yawn. "Or is it because I gutted myself with my own blade to save myself from being corrupted by the 'Bakudai'?"

"Well, yes. Because you went and pierced yourself in your abdominal area, your stomach muscles were severed in the process, causing severe internal bleeding. You had lost so much blood that I had to do a quick blood transfusion to keep you stabilized. Luckily, we had some blood to match your blood type to replace the amount that you had lost during your battle." Sakura construed.

"So, basically..." Nariko walked up to her and leaned in with her hands on her hips. "...you saved my life?"

"Ummm...yes I did..." Sakura answered simply, wondering if Nariko would either be upset or happy about that. She couldn't really pin down Nariko's attitude towards certain things on account of that the ravenette was so random with it at times. But the thing she didn't see coming was when Nariko pulled her in a tight hug, embracing her with all her worth.

"Oh, thank you so much, Sakura!" Nariko said with a huge smile. "You really are the greatest medical ninja!"

"N-Nariko..." Was the only thing that Sakura said at the moment. Her cheeks were turning a light pink from being hugged so affectionately by another girl. Sakura had always hugged her female friends sometimes, but it had never felt like this. She didn't know why, but it felt so different being hugged by Nariko. She could sense a small bit of masculinity emanating from her and the pinkette returned the hug with gratefulness. "You're very welcome, now get some sleep..."

The ravenette winked at her and hopped back into the bed, not bothering to get under the blankets to keep herself warm. She turned over to her side, her back facing Sakura and she whispered in a low tone, "Thanks Godmom..."

From hearing that, Sakura had stopped right in her tracks and looked over her shoulder from hearing what Nariko had mumbled under her breath. Maybe she was hearing things, but she could of sworn that Nariko had said something just then. Deciding not to worry about it, the medic nin had left out the room and gently closed the door behind her.

Walking down the empty hall of the hospital, Sakura's mind went into auto-pilot as she let her questions come one after another. _'Godmom...? Nariko called me 'Godmom'...? What did she mean by that...?'_

"Sakura..." A male voice chimed in and pulled Sakura out from her thoughts. She looked up and she saw Sai standing near the clerk by the front desk. "You seem kinda out of it..."

"No, no, no, Sai. I'm fine. I'm just...a little tired, that's all." Sakura said, putting on a fake smile, making sure that it was real enough to fool Sai to believing that it was authentic smile.

When she got to the front desk at the hospital, she had finally got the chance to see Sasuke's teammates. The boy with white hair was constant bickering with the girl with the bright red hair. While this was happening, the tallest male of the group just stood there and paid them no mind. She couldn't help but inwardly giggled at the fact that they did reminded her of Team 7...in a sense. It was like Sasuke had never got away from them at all. Sakura found it sweet that Sasuke still cared about them enough to find people that resembled them in some way.

When the medin nin's eyes had set on the female blonde clad in black and orange, the clipboard had slipped from her fingertips and clattered on the cool tiled floor. Sakura's ability to speak and think coherently was completely gone...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:

**Retribution**  
(応報 Ōhō)

Sai arrives with the rest of Team Taka at the hospital and Sakura nurses them back to health. Meanwhile, Sasuke comes to the Hokage's Mansion to receive his punishment.


	29. Chapter 23: Retribution

CHAPTER 23

**Retribution**  
_(_応報_Ō__hō)_

Sea green eyes gazed upon the blonde kunoichi standing infront of her as Sakura continued to take in the young girl's appearance. Her light blue eyes, her cream yellow hair, and wearing black and orange, just like a familiar blond that was on her team. Her lower lips quivered in astonishment and a bead of perspiration rolled down the medic nin's face, dripping from her chin and splattering almost silently on the dark gray tile on the floor.

_'Miyuki...? This is Miyuki...? But she...she looks like Naruto! How can that be? Unless Naruto has a sibling that he doesn't know about, but that's not possible. He's an only child as far as I know of...'_

"Sakura..." Sai's voice called out to her and handed her the clipboard that she had dropped earlier. "You dropped this."

The pinkette came out from her daze and with shaky hands, she had took the papers and pen from the artist and she gave him a feeble smile. "T-Thank you, Sai..."

Suigetsu thought it was weird how everyone was reacting so strangely whenever they saw Miyuki. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that he would find out more than what he wanted to know. As he contemplated his thoughts, he looked over the blonde, examining the view of her profile. _'What is it about Kitten that makes people look at her as if they seen a ghost or something...? I gotta find out why...'_

"Listen, Sakura. I'm leaving. I'm gonna meet with Naruto at the Hokage's Mansion. I'm sure you can handle things from here." Sai speculated, hoping that Sakura would calm down soon before she had to work on the so called "patients". The artist thought that Sasuke's partners should of went to the Hokage Mansion right along with him. It didn't make sense to him, but it wouldn't be right if they didn't get the help they needed. And speaking of help...

"Oh...and please take care of Ugly over there..." Sai said, pointing at the now steaming red-head behind him. "She's been complaining about her injuries ever since she entered the village. She's a feisty one, so you might want to hurry up with treating her or else she'll bite your head off..."

Suigetsu on the other hand just snickered inwardly at the thought of someone getting on Karin's nerves for a change. To him, this is what he called "bad karma". _'Karin has finally met her match...'_

_This fucking bastard is __**asking**__ for it! _Karin's hands were clenched into fists so tight that her knuckles were starting to turn white. "That's only with you, smart ass!"

"And me..." The water nin reluctantly pointed out. He knew that him and Karin had not been on the best of terms, but he wanted to let them know that he wasn't the only one who had dealt with that insane temper of hers. It seemed that Sai could handle her better than anyone else could, which was such a relief.

"Anyway, I leave it in your capable hands." Sai turned his back towards the exit of the hospital and started to make his way to the automatic slide open doors. "Have fun with the screaming harpy..."

That last comment had pushed the red-head over the edge.

Karin has had enough of that pale-ass, no mannered, Sasuke wannabe who was being so brutally rude to her. Not Suigetsu, not Jugo, or even Miyuki! It was just her! What did this bastard have against her so badly that he would continue to ridicule her like she was nothing? Was it because of the simple fact that she had defended Sasuke when the pale artist had disrespected the Uchiha? Or was he doing it just for the sheer enjoyment of pissing her off? For whatever reason, she was going to make sure that he didn't do it ever again.

Being quick, Karin stretched her hand downward and a kunai that had been hidden in the sleeve of her purple jacket slipped into her hand. With speed and velocity, she threw the kunai towards Sai, which was now aiming towards his head. The others in the hospital gasped when the frantic red-head was becoming even more violent than she already was.

Sai continued to walk towards the door and without as much as even turning around or flinching, the artist had caught the kunai in mid-air just before the weapon had a chance to even graze a tiny hair on his head. The fiery red-head's eyes widen from the shock that the artist had actually caught the kunai with such ease. _'Damn it! He's better than I thought...!'_

Miyuki stood there amazed by Sai's quick movements. _'Nothing less from the future Anbu Captain of Konoha...'_

The painter just sighed sadly. He was hoping that this woman wouldn't be such a headache. The other two was not really a problem. The tallest of the two was quiet and the loud one called 'Suigetsu' if he remembered correctly was...okay. The only thing about him was he was kind of loud like Naruto and his appearance was...somewhat similar to that of his late adoptive brother, Shin, but he can deal with the loudness. Karin on the other hand, that was a different story. She was in a class all by herself.

He had never met a woman that was so..."colorful" with almost every action that she took. In his eyes, she was somewhat...vibrant. Yeah, that was the right word to describe her without going overboard. "Uchiha sure has some strange yet interesting friends but sadly, he has no taste when it comes down to women." Taking the kunai into his hand properly, his finger slipped through the ring of the hilt as he spinned the weapon around. "Karin-san, if you want to get someone's attention, there's no need to throw kunai at them." As quick as he said, he threw it back at her with a simple back flick of his hand.

The red-head quickly tilted her head to her right side to keep the kunai from scraping her face and the sharp weapon had thunked against the white wall, practically scaring the receptionist behind the front desk.

"On another note, Karin-san, your hair..." Sai started, who had already observed it from seeing her earlier. Her hairstyle had disturbed the artist greatly. It was pointy and unkempt on one side and really straight on the other side. What female wears their hair like that? "Are you trying to make a statement? If you are, then you succeeded because it's looks like a porcupine. Hopefully, you'll like it evened out..."

With that last statement, the artist had finally left from the hospital, leaving everyone baffled from what he had said. "What did he mean by th-" But before Karin could finish the sentence, some of her hair that was always pin-straight on her left side was sheared, falling down to the ground. Bringing a shaky hand to her now pared piece of hair, Karin felt the oscillation in her lips from the shock that the artist had actually...cut her hair...

_'Oh, shit...'_ Was the only thing that ran through Suigetsu's mind at the moment. _'She gonna blow...!'_

As Sakura watched the scene unfold with her eyes, she clutched the clipboard she held in her hand from her teammate's actions. Karin's was trembling from both anger and vexation. How dare he does something like that to a complete stranger..._'Making fun of a girl is one thing...but never __**ever**__ make fun about a girl's hair...'_

"Well, at least it's even now..." Suigetsu said chuckling, trying to make Karin feel better, but that only had the opposite effect. Miyuki just shook her head in disapproval, knowing that what the water nin had said was not the right way to comfort her. From outside the hospital, the chagrin shouts of "I'm gonna kill him!" and "Bastard!" that was coming from an angry kunoichi could be heard throughout the entire village.

In the village streets, the artist couldn't help but smirk from hearing the familiar outburst. As he continued to make his way to the Hokage's Mansion, he nodded in approval that things were gonna get very interesting, very soon...

**XxX**

Inside the Hokage's Mansion, Tsunade was reading vigorously through the books that Shizune had brought her earlier today. So far, she had only found some abstract pieces about the history, but nothing that was concrete at the moment. She was getting seriously frustrated and she wanted to take a break and take her mind of it for a little while, but she decided against it.

Shizune had came back to assist her and much to her dismay, it wasn't all that much she could do.

"How can this be? This can't be everything about the history of the Infinite Tailed Beast. There has to be more about it!" Tsunade asked herself, rubbing her temples out of pure aggravation. She didn't think it would be this difficult to find, but she was determined to find out everything to prevent the outcome of the future events Nariko had foretold. Unless...

"Shizune, have you checked the Konoha Archive Library for anything?" The sandy blonde inquired, hoping that the Library would at least have some information about it.

"Lady Tsunade, I'm afraid that's where I went to get the books and scrolls from. I had asked the librarian was there anyway that I could go into the crypt of the library to find more information, but she told me that under that commandment of the First Hokage, no shinobi was allowed to go into the crypt under any circumstances..." The medical assistant answered.

"WHAT?" Tsunade hollered, standing up from her desk from hearing such a rule.

"I'm terribly sorry, Tsunade-sama..." Shizune apologized, giving her a bow out for not being as helpful as she should have been.

Tsunade bit her lip in grievance and crossed her arms, trying to figure out why would her grandfather, Hashirama Senju, would place such a legislation on the Konoha Crypt. The crypt was there to use for emergencies such as this. Was he trying keep certain things pertaining the village's history in there? Or was it for some other reason? She also contemplated if she were to go down there, they still wouldn't give her permission. Even with her status as the Hokage of the village. _'We're so close yet all the information we need, we can't even get access to it. Grandfather, what are trying to hide...?'_

A hard knock on the wooden door drove Tsunade out of her thoughts. She sighed, knowing that she would have to deal with that mess later. She hated leaving things half-done or unfinished, but now she had to take care of another problem.

"Come in..." She answered while she walked behind her desk to sit back down in her chair.

The door opened and several figures walked into the room with soft footsteps. The last person who was with them had closed the door behind them. Tsunade had looked up from her desk to see Naruto, Kakashi, Yamato, and a familiar raven young man who was cuffed and restrained.

"We're back, Grandma..." Naruto announced as everyone lined up side to side accordingly. "...and we brought teme too..."

"I see..." Tsunade wrinkled her brows at the raven haired missing nin. Things were bad enough as it is and now Sasuke was back in the picture. Things were getting way too chaotic for her. "I had a feeling that you would return, Sasuke. Unfortunately, I wish you haven't returned to us..."

Sasuke just narrowed his onyx eyes at the busty blonde. His limp hands had curled into fists from hearing that bit of information. He knew the things he did were serious and criminal, but he didn't expect to hear it from her of all people.

"Grandma, what is that suppose to mean?" Naruto asked, wondering why she would say something like that. He thought Tsunade would be on his side to defend Sasuke more than anyone else in the village.

"Naruto, I-"

Milliseconds later, a member of the ANBU materialized in the room next to Tsunade and bowed respectively, excusing himself from interrupting what she was doing. "Lady Tsunade, I've come back with the news regarding the meeting Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had with the Fire Daimyō this afternoon."

Tsunade had a gut feeling that those two were up to something the minute they knew that Sasuke might come back to the village. She had anticipated that they would, but the question was what were they trying to do without her consent?

"And? What did you find out?" Tsunade asked, folding her hands and placing her chin on top of them in a serious manner. The ANBU looked around and he saw that Naruto was right there in the room as well as his teacher and former comrade. This was gonna be difficult for them to grasp and understand...

"Lady Tsunade, under the order of the Fire Daimyō..." The ANBU paused, trying be as professional as possible. "...in a week's time, the missing nin – Sasuke Uchiha...will be executed..."

Around the room from perceiving the ANBU's words, everyone froze and their eyes widen from the news. From hearing that, Naruto's body and mind went completely numb...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:

**Sakura's Decision**  
_(_サクラの決定 _Sakura no Kettei)_

Naruto refuses to accept the fact that Sasuke was gonna be killed. At the hospital, Sakura comes to a decision that will change her life and everything around her...


	30. Chapter 24: Sakura's Decision

CHAPTER 24

**Sakura's Decision**  
_(_サクラの決定 _Sakura no Kettei)_

_'Sasuke...is going to be killed...? Sasuke was going...to die...? Those bastards wanted him dead...?'_

Those were the questions that kept replaying in Naruto's head over and over and over again. His heart felt like it had literally stopped beating and he forgot how to breath and think coherently. Naruto had managed to save Nariko from dying by the hands of the 'Bakudai' and now Sasuke was going to be killed under the consent of the Council? It was like he took 2 steps forward and 10 steps backwards with everything he was trying to do. Why did this keep happening?

Sasuke on the other hand just stood there like someone had already killed him. Now he asking himself this question: What was the point of ever coming back if he knew that this was going to happen? Maybe...just maybe...this was the best thing for him. He knew that the whole village saw him as a threat already, so why even bother trying to fight it anymore? If he was meant to die when he came back here, then...that was fine with him. Sasuke was not one to fight a battle that seemed incredibly hopeless to win.

"Execution? Without a proper trial?" Yamato said perplexed by the outcome of this situation. He was hoping that they would at least be reasonable and sentenced him to prison and make Sasuke atone for his deeds properly. This didn't seem right at all. It was almost unfair...

_'The Council must of persuaded the Daimyō to take such actions...' _Kakashi thought as he contemplated how it came to this point. The copy nin knew that something like this would happen. He also knew that Sasuke would face the consequences like a real criminal, but immediate termination? If Shikaku Nara was here, then maybe things wouldn't have escalated to such a high...

Tsunade slammed her closed fist into her desk and it rattled unsubtly, making some of the books fall off from it. _'If he can be persuade by the Council to terminate Sasuke, then it's also possible to be able to hinder this course of action from taking place. There has to be a way to get the Daimyō to change his mind about his decision...'_

The sandy blonde looked over at Naruto and Sasuke. She could understand how he was feeling at the moment. In a week's time, her godson...was going to lose the very thing that kept him going. Naruto had fought so hard to get where he was and he was the reason for it. Sasuke was the reason that the blond pushed himself to the point where so many would of given up and just by looking at the expression on the blond's face, Tsunade knew that Naruto had feelings for the Sasuke that went beyond friendship.

Tsunade slammed her closed fist into her desk and it rattled unsubtly, making some of the books fall off from it. _'If he can be persuade by the Council to terminate Sasuke, then it's also possible to be able to hinder this course of action from taking place. There has to be a way to get the Daimyō to change his mind about his decision...'_

"Perhaps I can step in and see what I can do..." A male voice answered, startling everyone as he appeared in the room in a cloud of smoke.

He was wearing a standard chunin flak jacket, along with a black long sleeved shirt paired with matching pants and sandals, and green lined mesh armor on his wrists and ankles. His hair was pulled in a spiky ponytail and his light brown eyes had an unreadable expression that crossed between irritated and oppressive. To everyone in the room, he seemed somewhat normal today.

"Shikamaru..." Naruto said, almost surprised by the genius' appearance. "...what are you doing here...?"

Shikamaru sighed, hoping that Naruto wouldn't have asked such a tedious question. Of course that couldn't be helped anyway, since it was Naruto after all. "I was in the next room making arrangements for the next Chūnin Exams when I overheard what was going on. I tried to tune it out because of the headache I was having, but I couldn't from all the noise..." The genius glanced at Sasuke briefly before getting back to the task at hand. "Tsunade, it's true, isn't it...?"

Tsunade didn't answer him, which was all the confirmation that he needed. The genius was doing some serious thinking about all this. There was one way to do this, but he wasn't too sure about actually going through with executing this idea. The more he thought about it, the idea behind it was like a double-edged sword. Depending on the outcome, It could go from bad to worse or it could even benefit the village in the near future. It was a hard choice, but he was willing to give it a shot. Going against his judgment, he decided that the best thing to do would be to do the right thing...

"Naruto, I know you and if you were to go by yourself, there is no doubt in my mind that the council will try to throw in jail for obstruction in legislative matters. They would take advantage of your feelings and used them against you. If I go with you, you stand a better chance at convincing the Daimyō to give Sasuke a fair trial and possibly save him from being executed..."

"Shikamaru, I knew you would come up with something, but how can that work?" Naruto asked.

"At the moment, my Father is away from the village and is taking care of business in Suna with the Kazekage. That means I am the interim commander of the Konoha Shinobi forces until he returns. Therefore, I do have a say-so in this matter just as much as my father would have if he was here..."

"Of course..." Shizune added in. She had completely forgot that Shikamaru was in charge of these kinds of matters until further notice. The medic nin couldn't believe that she let that slipped her mind.

Naruto was indeed happy that there could a slight chance to turn this thing around, but something was still bothering him. "Shikamaru, why would you do this? I don't understand. What will you gain from doing this?" the blond asked in curiosity. He knows the genius fairly well and he wouldn't do something like this just on a whim. There had to be a reason behind his sudden urge to help.

"We don't have much time, Naruto. If we leave now, we can still catch the Daimyō before his meeting with the Council is over with. It's a bit troublesome to explain it right now, but I believe that what they are doing is breaking one of the Commandments of the Konoha Legislation System."

"Naruto..." Kakashi concluded, placing a firm hand on the blond's shoulder. "Shikamaru is right. This is the best thing we can do right now. Go with him to see the Daimyō and we'll take care of Sasuke for the time being..."

Naruto then looked over at Sasuke, who had been silent throughout this whole ordeal. He couldn't even begin to describe how Sasuke felt at the moment. People had wanted him dead and without a chance to properly redeemed himself from the crimes that he committed, that was going to happen. The blond just continued to gaze at him, looking for him to give him an answer. Something. Anything to let him know what to do, but he didn't comply. He just stood there...not saying anything...

This did not make it any easier for the blond but just from the silence alone, Naruto knew what he had to do...and he was willing to put his life in jeopardy for Sasuke's sake...

Not hesitating for another moment, Naruto and Shikamaru walked over to where the lone ANBU was standing and they both stood next to him side by side. Giving a determined look and a curt nod, Naruto, Shikamaru, and the ANBU had disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

_'Naruto...why would you go so far for me...? Why are putting yourself through this kind of turmoil for my sake...?' Sasuke gritted his teeth in animosity from the blond's foolish acts. Even for you, Naruto, this was going way too far...Why can't he just leave it alone...?'_

Kakashi was sensing some serious agitation and helplessness coming from the restrained missing nin. This was bothering Sasuke more than he had expected. Did he really wanted Naruto to not try and to save him...?

_'Sasuke, you probably can't see it and you probably never will, but Naruto is doing this for only one reason: He wants you to live and experience true happiness again. He wants to pull you into the light and let you believe in it again. You can't do that if you're dead and not only that...he loves you more than anyone...'_

And the silence had remained in the Hokage's office as Tsunade could only hoped that Shikamaru and Naruto could somehow...make a change...

**XxX**

At the hospital, Sakura was sitting down in the break room, drinking her some herbal tea in a teacup. God, she needed a break. Running the hospital as the head medical ninja while Tsunade was taking care of other matters sure wasn't an easy job for anyone to handle. She swished the tea around in her cup and looked in it with a solemn expression. So much has happened in one day. A little too much in her opinion.

Sakura had tended to Sasuke's partners and Miyuki and healed their wounds properly. Miyuki had suffered from several destroyed muscle tissues. Luckily for the blonde, it wasn't too sever and Sakura was able to heal her woulds and reversed the effects that the eschars had did on her arms and legs. Jūgo had dislocated his spine slightly during the fight, but it was the only injury he really received besides a few scratches. Sakura had realigned it during a simple surgery and he was good as new.

Karin had gotten a hard chakra-infused kick to the neck that damaged the nerves and the muscles. The red-head wouldn't be able to turn her neck around properly for a while but other than that, she was fine. Now Suigetsu on the other hand didn't suffer from any serious physical injuries; just a few scratches here and there, but he did received multiple shocks of electricity shot through his Chakra Pathway System. He had took in so much electrical current that it actually sealed up some of his Chakra Points. With a little help from Ino, Sakura was able to unseal the Chakra Points and help heal Suigetsu back to perfection, except for a few scratches.

Several hours had passed since she had saw Naruto or Sai and she was wondering what going on. She couldn't really leave the hospital to go see, because they really needed her there to supervise the other medical nin since she was the best among the group. Sakura was sure that Naruto would fill her in on what was happening, but she highly doubts it. When it came to Sasuke, Naruto would never really talk about it around her anymore. She didn't see what was wrong with talking about Sasuke with her. He was still a friend...or was in some way...

This made her wonder. Now that Sasuke was back in the village, what would they do to him for defecting the village? What kind of punishment awaits him once he got to the Hokage's Mansion? She only hoped that Tsunade and Naruto could prevent something serious from happening to him. And then it happened again. A familiar pain formed inside of her chest. She couldn't get over the fact that Naruto was becoming more and more secretive about his life. She understood that Naruto wasn't really like that until Sasuke came back into the picture. Was what the blond hiding from her...?

Several knocks were heard on the door and Sakura had stopped thinking all together. She looked over at the door and wondered who that could be. Whoever it was, she was grateful to them for stopping her from thinking too much. Anymore and she probably would of popped a blood vessel and her being angry would not be a pretty sight for her patients and especially for herself. Sakura got up and walked to the door and she opened it to see who it was.

When she did, standing in the doorway was a tall young man carrying some items and a small brown box. The first thing she noticed was his very thick eyebrows and his perfectly round black eyes that had held so much life within them. He sported a soup haircut and wore a green jumpsuit with orange leg warmers, bandages around his hands and wrists, and wore his red headband around his waist like a belt. Plus, he was wearing his standard flak jacket.

Sakura just smiled brightly at her visitor, "Hi, Lee-san." she greeted cheerfully.

"Good afternoon, Sakura-san!" the youthful shinobi greeted back with a youthful salute filled with undying passion. "I brought those items you asked me to bring!"

"I see. So, how is everything?" The medic nin asked, tucking a strand of pink hair back behind her ear.

"Simply wonderful, Sakura-san! The kids are really embracing the power of youth! I will not rest until every child patient in this hospital is moved by my passion and youthfulness! I promise that one my life!" Lee answered passionately, pumping a fist into the air.

Rock Lee had volunteered to help out at the hospital on the days when he didn't have missions. Most of his days, he spent with the younger children, helping them get back on their feet with walking around and some light taijutsu every now and then to get the kids pumped up and even motivate them to live. Sakura didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Considering Lee and the simple thought of the children shouting his youthful mantra over and over, she took that as a good thing.

"I'm glad to hear that. Such enthusiasm..." Sakura said with a sweet smile. "...although, you might want to tone it down a bit since we're in the hospital..." she giggled nervously, not wanting him to disturb the patients.

"Ohhh..." Lee said, feeling slightly guilty from making so much noise. With a sheepish grin, he handed the items to her. "Please forgive me, Sakura-san..."

"It's quite all right. Thank you, Lee-san..." Sakura said, thanking him for being so helpful and kind to her. Lee was such a gentleman and a strong shinobi to boot. Sure he wasn't the best looking person out there, but his personality and his heart made up for it. He was sweet, caring, noble, pure-hearted, the list goes on and on about this wonderful ninja and a small tint of pink was beginning to surface on her cheeks.

Lee blinked suspiciously from watching Sakura's expression, "Sakura-san, are you okay? Your face is turning pink. Do you have a fever...?"

The pinkette snapped out of her daze and noticed that Lee was looking at her with concern evident in his black, round eyes. Was she...blushing around Lee...? No, that couldn't be. That's...never happened before. Was she feeling all right...?

"Oh no, Lee-san, I'm fine. I think I've been working too hard..." Maybe she needed to rest or just relax for a little while. Working nonstop for hours would take a toll on anyone's body if they didn't get the proper rest. Perhaps she was hallucinating or something...

"Well, I must be off now! I have to get the preteen patients pumped up before the day is out! 100 crab walks around the hospital garden!" Lee shouted out loud again, showing off his signature thumbs up gesture with a familiar glint that always shined on his perfect smile. "Bye now!"

And the youthful ninja left the room with a dash of speed and everlasting fury. Sakura felt a sweat-drop slowly dropping down the back of her head from seeing such actions and went back into the room and shut the door behind her.

Placing the brown box unto the table, she dropped the two manilla folders filled with written documents on them. When she opened the box, she pulled glass tubes filled with dark red blood. Opening both folders, she pulled the patient information and on each one had a picture of a girl on it: One with Nariko and the other with Miyuki.

Looking at the tubes of blood that she had got from them earlier, she gripped them tightly, feeling both discomfort and guilt. God, she could not believe what she was about to do and the medic nin looked over at the analysis machine on the other side of the room...

_'Forgive me...but I have to know...I need to know the truth...!'_

And she slowly made her way over to the machine, hoping that the DNA test would finally determine who the girls' parents were once and for all...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:

**Between Right and Wrong**  
_(_正邪の間で _Seija no Ma De)_

At the hospital, Sakura is getting closer and closer to the truth, but something stops her. Meanwhile, Shikamaru explains to Naruto why he took action to save Sasuke...


	31. Chapter 25: Between Right and Wrong

CHAPTER 25

**Between Right and Wrong**  
_(_正邪の間で _Seija no Ma De)_

Being careful with the tubes filled with Nariko and Miyuki's blood, Sakura sat down by the DNA analysis machines and pulled out two sets of glass slides. Putting the blood tubes of inside of an empty test tube rack, Sakura opened a drawer that had a full box of latex hospital gloves in it and pulled two out for herself so she wouldn't contaminate herself with any blood spills. Although this was highly unlikely to happen, she could never be too careful when it came down to medical procedures. Better safe than sorry is what she always said.

After tying her hair up into a small ponytail, Sakura had went to the sink to wash her hands for standard procedure for the test. When she dried her hands with a clean hand towel, Sakura put on the latex gloves, she had reached into a cabinet above the sink to get two plastic pipette eyedroppers to use in order to extract the blood properly. Walking back to where the machine was, she carefully placed the items on the table and turned the machine on. Sakura typed in some codes and numbers to get the proper setting for it and the machine started up.

Picking up two of the four glass slides, Sakura placed them into the tray of the machine. Being as careful as she could, Sakura took one eyedropper and placed the tip inside a blood tube and extracted a small amount of blood into the instrument. Being cautious, she squeezed the tip of the eyedropper onto the glass slide and with another slide, she pressed both pieces of glass together and the blood spread into a wide circle between the two slides. With the other tube of blood, she repeated the same process and when both samples were on the tray, she pushed the tray inside the machine and it began to beep repeatedly.

_'I never used this machine before, but the way that it's set up, it will determine who the parents are by genes. If I'm right, then approximately half of all genes between a parent and the child will be identical. In other words, 49.5% of the genes will be from both parents...' _

The medic nin couldn't help but feel more and more condemned by doing this DNA test. Her conscience was in a fight between wanting to know the truth and not wanting to know. She also knew that doing this test without the girls' permission would truly upset them or in Nariko's case, she would be extremely pissed off if the ravenette ever caught wind of what she was doing. Not only that, doing this could possibly destroy her friendship and trust she has with Naruto. During the past few months, the bond she had with the blond was slowly beginning to crumble and she didn't want to ruin what little friendship she had left with him.

Now, she was stuck with an impossible choice: either go through with the DNA test or turn the machine off and pretend that she had never done it at all. She...she just wanted to know who the girls really are. The three months that Nariko had been here in the village and after seeing Miyuki for the first time, this only tipped her further in the direction of wanting to find out the truth even more. Sakura has had enough of the mysteries, the secrets, the fighting, everything. She just wanted to finally get an answer, so it could put her mind and everyone else's mind at ease.

From outside the examination room, the sound of squelching footsteps and soft humming echoed through the empty halls of the hospital. The voice belonged to that of another female that worked in the hospital right along with Sakura. She has a fair skin complexion and wears her light blonde hair in a high ponytail with a wide fringe covering the right side of her face. She has light blue pupiless eyes and wears a short, purple, sleeveless blouse, fishnets over her elbows and knees, an open purple apron-skirt over a shorter, black skirt, with short fishnet shorts underneath that showed her distinctive figure.

The young girl's features were graced with a mirthful expression and she smiled brightly. "Man, today was absolutely fabulous! I wonder if Sakura wouldn't mind going to lunch with me on her break so I can tell her the good news!" The blonde quickly picked up the pace and hurried to the room to where Sakura was in.

When she got to the room, she swung opened the door and peeked inside. "Hey, Sakura! Guess what? I finally got a date with someone really special and I thought we could go to-" The blonde never got to finish the sentence on account of what she witnessing. Sakura had a machine running and she saw two blood tubes and the patient documents spread out on the table. The girl's hand had lost it grip on the doorknob and fell numbly to her side.

Sakura had turned around and her eyes widen in shock at the sight of her closest friend and rival, who had just walked in on her conducting the test. There was no way that the medic nin can come up with an exception excuse for this and her mind had locked up on her. "Ino...what...what are you..."

"Sakura..." The blonde made her way over to her, wanting to get an answer out of her. "...what...what are you doing...?"

"Ino, I...I just..." Sakura started slowly, trying to find the right words to explain her actions, but she couldn't find. Her mind couldn't register any words to give any kind of explanation to her friend. "I can't deal with this. I...can't wait anymore for an answer. Too much has been happening and I need to know who Nariko and Miyuki are in order to get to the bottom of this..."

Ino couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sakura was actually something like this...and without anyone knowing? "Sakura, do you have any idea what you are doing? Look, Sakura, I know things have been rough for you these past months, but there is no need to commits these kinds of acts to try to find out what's been happening..."

Sakura chuckled weakly at her friend. God, she felt so pathetic at this point and she wanted nothing more than for this conversation to end. From hearing the blonde's statement, the medic nin lowered her head slightly in contempt. "Ino, you picked this time to give me the speech about rectitude and honesty?"

Ino noted to herself that Sakura was going to go through something that seemed almost deceitful, but the blonde would not stand by and let her walk in the direction of betraying her trust with Naruto.

"I'm trying to stop you from making one of the biggest mistakes that you could possibly make. I've seen your behavior lately. You've finally came to terms with your feelings and you truly love Naruto. But now that Sasuke-kun has returned, you feel somewhat threatened by him being around Naruto again. You fear Naruto getting hurt more than anything in the world and you'll do anything to protect from that. That's why you made that promise to yourself to fight Sasuke-kun in order to protect Naruto's compassion from being destroyed by him, knowing that you can't possibly win. In a sense, it was your way of wanting to finally put an end to Naruto's agony. Am I right?"

Sakura paused for a moment and she closed her hands into fists, clenching them tightly. The pinkette's lips quivered in nervousness and anger from Ino being correct with her assumption.

"So, I ask you this question. Are you doing for his sake or are you doing this for yourself?"

From that question alone, there was absolutely no way that Sakura could hold back the strength and the will power that kept her emotions under control. A small tear trickled on the bridge of her nose and it silently cascaded to the tip and it dropped on the tiled floor and soon after, many more tears reflecting her feelings splashed and splattered unto the floor.

"Ino, you know what the sad thing is about all this..?" Sakura sniffled, trying to stop herself from continuing to weep. She looked up at her Ino with a dejected smile as the tears continued to flow from her sea green eyes. "The whole time...I already knew who they were.."

The blonde's eyes had widen from the pinkette's presumption. Was she serious about what she said? Did she really known all along and had not said anything to everyone? Judging from her expression, it seems that she spoke the truth. "Sakura...you..."

"I didn't want to believe it. Even when proof was right before my eyes, I just..didn't want to..."

It was bad enough when Sasuke had left the village 4 years ago, making her and Naruto feel unbearable pain and having to deal with losing the one that she always loved. Afterwards, her love for Sasuke had completely deteriorated and felt nothing more for him and when she finally figured that he was not coming back, she deemed him a lost cause. And now...she had lost her chances with Naruto as well...this is way too much for to handle...

At that moment, Sakura's silent weeping turned into loud sobs and she soon collapsed onto the ground and broke down entirely. The blonde had no idea that Sakura was going through so much distress all by herself. Sakura was so good at holding things in and keeping it to herself. If Sakura hadn't broke down in front of her the way she did, Ino probably still wouldn't have known how she was really feeling. Ino knelt down to comfort her and she hugged the medic nin, rubbing her back with soothing caresses and shushing her gently.

"Shhh..." the blonde said in between stroking Sakura's back. "Everything's gonna be okay. I know it will..."

The two girls just continued to hugged each on the tiled floor in the examination room, not caring if someone was to walk in on them and assume it to be something else. Now that she knew, Sakura would not let Naruto deal with such a trial by himself. She would make sure of that...no matter what...

**XxX**

The sun was already setting and nightfall was slowly approaching. The loud laughter of Naruto Uzumaki could heard throughout the village and he was feeling a whole lot better than he was a few hours ago. Naruto and Shikamaru were walking down the street, enjoying each other's company. The two shinobi have had a rough day and it felt good to just relax and let loose. Even if it was only for a few minutes.

"Man, Shikamaru, you are really awesome! You certainly gave those old buzzards a run for the money during that meeting! I don't think I ever seen anyone take down their opponents by just using fierce words of justice. You should study under Ibiki Morino and be an interrogator or something! But then again, you wouldn't want to do that because it would be too troublesome and boring to you." The blond explained while crossing his arms over his chest with a wide grin. Naruto looked over at his friend and saw the embarrassed expression on his face.

Shikamaru just chuckled a bit from Naruto's rambling. "But...you did most of the talking, Naruto. I just pointed out what they were doing was not following the proper procedure on handling criminals..."

"Even so..." Naruto started, trying to find the right words. "...if it wasn't for you, it probably wouldn't have went so well. Shikamaru, I'm gonna ask you again."

From hearing the sudden change in tone in Naruto's voice, Shikamaru stopped in his tracks and turn around to face the blond shinobi. He already knew where this was going.

"You're not gonna let it go until I tell you, right?" Shikamaru asked, hoping that Naruto would not ask that question again, but to much of his dismay, the blonde answered him with a sharp nod. He sighed in defeat, knowing that the blond wouldn't say no. "Cripes, you're still as persistent as ever..."

"Because..." Shikamaru said, putting his hand into his pockets. "...I was doing what I believe was right..."

Naruto tilted his head to the side from his reply. It was a simple answer. Clearly, it was way too simple of an answer for Shikamaru, but was that really the only reason? "Shikamaru, you put your shinobi reputation on the line today. If things would have backfired, you could of suffered serious consequences for your actions. Why did you do it? Why would you put yourself in that kind of predicament?"

"Like I said before, I did it because it was the right thing to do." The genius answered as he looked up to the red orange sky and simply smiled. He was envying the clouds even more than he usually would, changing their colors every day and night without a care in the world. Shikamaru also knew that Naruto was not going to get what he was talking about the first time around, so he decided to continue with his explanation.

"I heard about what's been happening lately. Your teammate has returned on his own free will after he has defected the village. Forgive me if I can't really understand how you must be feeling right now. But when someone I know continues to push themselves for the sake of saving their closest friend, there's no way that anyone can simply ignore that. If I were in your shoes, I would have done the same thing for Ino and Chōji in a heartbeat..."

Naruto turned to his friend from hearing the genius say that. "What do you mean?"

"Sasuke was someone I was never really fond of. In fact, I don't like him at all and I still don't like him. Don't get me wrong, Naruto. I am not one to shun a person, but do I believe that everyone deserves a second chance at trying to turn their life around. No matter how far a person has fallen, as long as there is one person that still believes in them and is still willing to try and help them, that's something worth fighting for in my opinion..."

"You're right..." Shikamaru had made a clear and valid point. Anyone who had a sense of nobility would do anything in their power to try and help the people they cherished.

"Pull yourself together, Naruto. The fight is not over yet. You still got a lot of work to do if you want to save him. Besides, I've already done my part to help out the future king of this village. He just needs to do the rest..." Shikamaru winked and started to walk in the opposite direction, making his way home to his household to help out his mother.

As Naruto watched his friend descend further and further down the road, he couldn't help but smile contently at what the genius had said to him. Shikamaru had that much faith in him and because of that, his determination and fortitude had been revitalized by the shadow user's words of encouragement.

"Thank you, Shikamaru..."

He quickly remembered that the elders had granted him the chance to see Sasuke the night before the trial and maybe...just maybe talk some sense into Sasuke. Naruto knew that it wouldn't do any good to try talking to him, but that never stopped him before and it wasn't going to stop him now. Naruto needed to know why Sasuke, his best friend had been acting so strangely. Sasuke was usually quiet, but he had been too quiet. It was almost...eerie. As if uttering a single word could make him feel so apprehensive and it shook his normally cold disposition...

_'Sasuke, you're gonna tell me everything when I come and see you in six days. I don't care if you try to ignore it or try to sidestep the subject, I'm gonna get to the bottom of it whether you like it or not...'_

The blond clenched his fist closed and he was even more impelled than ever to save Sasuke from being execution. In six days, Naruto was going to make the raven talk to him...no matter what it took...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next special chapter of Changing Fate is:

**Sai's Family Roots**  
_(_サイの家族ルーツ _Sai no Kazoku Rūtsu)_

Sai begins to wonder what things be like if he ever had a family or even knew about his family members. Fortunately for him, he will get a surprise of a lifetime...


	32. Special Chapter 5

SPECIAL CHAPTER 5

**Sai's Family Roots**  
_(_サイの家族ルーツ _Sai no Kazoku Rūtsu)_

It has been three days since Sasuke and his teammates have arrived back in the Village Hidden in the Leaves and ever since then, a lot of things were starting to change. Sakura was becoming more distant and distressed while Naruto kept worrying himself about Sasuke's well being. Even Kakashi was not acting like himself and that was kind of hard to tell since he's always been so...poise and calm about situations like that. The only one that didn't seem to let the situation get to them was Yamato and the rest of Konoha 11.

Sai didn't understand why the whole team was beginning to fall apart all because of Sasuke had came back on his own. The artist was still trying to figure out why was this happening in the first place? What was his reason for coming back to the place that possibly caused him so much pain? It didn't make sense to him at all. The Uchiha was a strange person with an insane complex. Too bad his family was all murdered by his older brother, Itachi.

Speaking of family, how was Sasuke raised? Sai wondered about that for a while now. He came from the Uchiha Clan, so he was probably raised with proper values about life. Those values got seriously deterred when the clan got massacred. He probably would have been a nice guy if his family was still living. But he guessed Sasuke growing up alone in the world sort of obstructed his way of thinking clearly.

Thinking about Sasuke's life made Sai wonder if he had parents. Of course, that was a ridiculous question on his part because he wouldn't be here if he didn't have any. Was his parents still alive? He was orphaned, but that's the only thing he knows. Nothing more nothing less. Why was he worrying about this? The artist headed over to the Hokage's Mansion...his inquiring mind wanting some answers...

**XxX**

At her desk, Tsunade was in her office doing some paperwork that had began to pile up on her. She had blamed herself for letting it pile up like that in the first place. A lot had happened and she had to take some time away from her duties to handle it. These past few days had been very stressful not only to Naruto, but to her as well. In a few more days, everything will change for the better or for the worse...

"Come in..." She answered and the pale young artist walked into the office.

"Sai..." Tsunade said, somewhat surprised by the his appearance. He usually never comes to the office by himself. Was something wrong? "You don't have any missions today and all of the others are taking the day off. What do I owe this visit? I'm quite busy at the moment as you can see..."

Walking towards her desk in slow steps, Sai swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He was nervous about asking her something like this, but this was something he had wanted to know. He won't feel any better unless he got some answers. "Tsunade-sama, I was wondering...if you had any information on me that can tell me something about my lineage..."

Tsunade had stopped writing all together when she heard him ask that. She placed the brushed down next to the vial of ink and folded her hands under her chin. She was hoping that he would never ask anything about his lineage. Because of that, she felt uneasy about handling this situation. "What brought this up all of a sudden? You never worried about it before..."

"I know that, Tsunade-sama. Do I have any records about my family at all? I need to know something. Anything about them...if I had any..." Sai's voice was a bit anxious, having mixed feelings about wanting to learn about the truth and not wanting to know. It would not be a good feeling to know that he was possibly abandoned instead of being an orphan. In ROOT, they had confirmed that he was an orphan, but something just didn't seem right about that.

"Are you sure about this?" Tsunade noticed that Sai was not gonna let up on the subject at all. It would asinine to keep trying to convince him otherwise. Her good heart couldn't turn down such a request and not telling him would probably hurt him in some way, but she also knew that leaking this kind of information out could have some serious mental effects on him. "Would you be able to handle this?"

"Yes." He answered sternly. "I'm certain." If Sai could handle being put under a genjutsu by Sasuke and letting his hidden fear get the best of him, he was pretty sure he could handle this.

The busty blonde sighed in defeat. The ROOT Foundation was disbanded now, so it should be okay if she told him that information. After all, they have to give the records to the Hokage as approval for a shinobi to be in ANBU or ROOT anyway. So she opened a drawer next to her that had an assortment of files in it. It had ranged from ninja registrations to death certificates alphabetized and lettering by A-Z and by numbers. Pulling out three folders, she placed them on the desk and pulled something else out.

"What is that you want to know, Sai?" Tsunade asked as she opened the files.

"Well, what is my real name?" He questioned. He knew that what he was called now couldn't possibly be his real name. All ROOT members have a 'code name' they go under while on a mission or otherwise.

"According to this, when Danzo assigned you your code name for when you go on missions, he had actually gave your real birth name as your 'alias'. So your real name is actually 'Sai'." Tsunade concluded and she smirked a little bit. That was a bit of a surprise and unexpected from Danzo.

That was something Sai thought Danzo would never do. The now deceased man had enough decently to use his real name in a secretive organization? Talk about a man with hidden morals.

"Also, you've come from a clan that uses artistic abilities and skills as their main fighting style, the Tomoe Clan."

"The...Tomoe Clan?" Sai tried the name out, but he wasn't familiar with it at all. He had never heard of a clan with that name before. Was it an ancient clan? "Can you elaborate on that?"

"Yes. The Tomoe Clan was an old clan that resided in Konoha. Members of the Tomoe Clan had excellent chakra control and high level dexterity when it came down to performing jutsu. Every other generation, shinobi contracted "Myopathy", which was a serious condition where the muscles in the body do not function properly. Because of this, they had below average strength and stamina. The good thing about this is that they could use the chakra that they do have efficiently without wasting it. In some cases, most Tomoe members acted as a Intel and Ambush type shinobi to aid their teammates in battle from long distances..."

"Wait...was? What happened to it?"

"You mean what happened to the Tomoe Clan? After a tragic battle, most of the clan members had scattered across the shinobi nations, creating different branches of the Tomoe Clan for each village."

"Anything else?" Sai hoped that there was so more except for little piece of information.

"Well, reading back over these certificates, your father's name was Jiseki Tomoe and your mother's name was Kaori Tomoe..." Tsuande then handed Sai a small back book with gold writing on it. It was about the size of a small journal. Sai didn't like how the woman just gave him the book in silence like that...

"You mean...they're..."

"Yes. I'm terribly sorry, Sai. Your parents were killed during that battle. The details of that are pretty abstract, so there's not much I can tell you. That diary is the only thing that remains from the two of them, Sai. It belonged to your mother. You can take it with you and see whats inside it..." Tsunade only hoped that she wasn't making a mistake of giving Sai that diary. But then again, it could piece together some of the things that she explained to him.

"I see...Thank you, Tsunade-sama..." Not saying another word, Sai took the diary with and left out the office in sullence, quietly closing the door behind him.

_'Everything and everyone around here is becoming so depressed and dishearten. I hope this feeling goes away really soon...'_

**XxX**

When he was walking home that afternoon, Sai was still in shock from what Tsunade had told him. He actually came from a noble clan and he actually had parents. He had also learned that his father was the second generation's leader of the Tomoe Clan, his family clan and his mother was originally from the Village Hidden in the Grass and was a master of the Poison Release. Sai never thought...that he would have such strong parents. To him, that was quite impressive in his book. Pulling out the diary that Tsunade had gave him, he flipped through it until he got to the last page. He then noticed there was in a side pocket of the diary.

"What is this?" He asked, looking at the object inside the pocket. Letting curiosity getting the best of him, Sai slowly pulled it out from its resting place and it turned out to be a photo. In the picture was a man and woman, who looked like they could be in their late 20s. He had his arms wrapped the woman's waist and he had a bright smile while the woman looked at him with a sweet yet expression.

Sai noticed that the man had pale skin similar to his and he had black eyes. His hair was long that it fell to his shoulders and he wore the standard attire for Konoha and the forehead protector worn around his neck. The only difference was that he was wearing short sleeves and had bandages wrapped around his elbows and wore fingerless gloves. His father, Jiseki wore black...just like he does. He just added the color of dark green into his style of fashion.

The woman had a fair skin complexion and she had short, dark brown hair with pure black eyes. She was wearing her forehead protector in the traditional manner as well and had a silver flower pin on the left side of her head. She wore a sleeveless red shirt with a black undershirt with gray tights that stopped to her knees. Under the shirts, she wore a wrap across her waist and knee-high shinobi sandals.

So this was what his parents had looked like. They weren't bad looking, either. In fact, they were nice looking people. Normal looking people, except for the fact that his Father could have been a possible fool with that mischievous smirk on his face. It was a shame that he had never got the chance to meet them or spend time with them. Now he wished that they we're still alive, so he could get to know them and experience the one bond that he will never ever get the chance at: learning and understanding a true family bond.

Not knowing what it was like to have someone watch you nearby as you executed your first jutsu. Not having anyone to protect you from danger when you were still just a child. To have someone see you off on your first day of going to the Academy, even though he had never went. The feeling of coming home to them every single day...just to see their smiling faces and smelling the sweet scent of a home cooked meal. Sai...Sai didn't have any of those things during his younger days as a child and just imagining it made him feel so...pensive...

A small clear liquid the size of a pearl plopped on the photo and a couple more followed, splashing onto the semi-soft material. Reaching his hand up to the right side of his face, Sai had pressed his index finger on the wetness that had stopped midway on his cheek and he analyzed it. It was...tears. He had tears in his eyes? He was actually shedding tears. The artist couldn't believe that he was experiencing the natural phenomenon such as crying and this notion let him know that not even he, a emotionless person with no personality can suppress the magnificent power of human emotions.

His childhood was very dark. Lonely. Plain. Dull. It lacked the vibrancy and brightness that he always wanted to know. Just black and white. Darkness. Everything that was bland and distasteful. He was also in Root, which did not make things any better for him...well, except for Shin. In reality, that was not the kind of life he wanted for himself nor did he had much of a choice for the life that he had led up until now. The artist guessed that the feelings that were buried deep, deep inside of him were slowly starting to resurface, letting him get reacquainted with the foreign emotions that came with the human mind.

He looked at the picture once more and he could tell that his parents had possibly lead very interesting lives. They may have had their share of trials and challenges, but there were probably at least fun and exciting. Something that he has yet to do yet...but he intends to change all that. Slowly, but surely, he will try to live his life the way his parents. If so, he would try to live life even better than they did. This feeling he had felt...the feeling of wanting to change was something that he never felt before. The swelling that resided in his heart was emanating from within him, awakening a brand new desire for change...

Change. A simple word that held so meaning and it was very powerful as well...

Sai had flipped the picture to the opposite side of it and tt said: _To our precious son, Sai. We love you with all our hearts. Remember us forever and grow up to be a fine shinobi! Jiseki and Kaori._

The fact that Jiseki and Kaori left a diary for him as a keepsake made him wonder what written inside it. From what he saw by scanning through the diary earlier, mostly all of the pages were filled with entries. In any case, a lot of his parents' life, history, and adventures was probably held in this book. It would be worth finding out when he had the free time to do so. This was something that he would have to do when he was alone and didn't have any distractions.

_'This...is the only memento I have left from my parents. I won't let **ANYTHING** happen to this diary. I'll protect their memories...and create new vivid memories for myself so I can cherish them...just like my parents cherished me enough to bring me into this world...'_

From a nearby building, the silhouette of a young girl was watching the artist closely. Witnessing just about everything that had happened from the distance, the girl couldn't help but somberly smiled at the young man for being able to handle such a trial so well. It must have been extremely painful for him to grow up in a world of no emotions, no free will, or a way to express himself by living life. But he wouldn't have to worry about that for long.

The girl sweet smile turned in a mischievous smirk as she placed a hand on her firm hip. Excitement was building up inside of the young girl from anticipation alone. She could only imagine when the day comes to let the cat out of the bag. "Don't worry, Daddy. You will see your daughter and your son very soon...I promise you'll get the chance of understanding a true family bond. ..."

And with that declaration, the girl vanished again.

Faintly sensing something, Sai had turned around a moment later to see if someone was following him. Of course, he had saw nothing on top of that building. "That's strange...I could of sworn that someone was following me. Maybe I just need to go back to my apartment and get some sleep. It's been a rough day as it is and I don't need to have paranoia on my plate as well. I'll leave that to Dickless..."

For that split second, Sai chuckled from saying the first nickname he had given Naruto and that brought back some good memories. Sai would taunt him, Naruto would challenge him, the artist would antagonize him and the two would always end up in a awkward and hilarious situation. There hasn't been one time where this confrontation would fail. It happened every time. They were consequential yet fun and nice memories.

His thoughts of good times lingered towards a more...pressing matter. From what he heard from Shikamaru, Naruto didn't have long before he would be in a court room full of higher ups, the Kages, and the Daimyō from the Five Great Nations. The question that ran through Sai's mind was: What the hell did he do to get the Shinobi Nations to want and get involved? That was one thing he didn't understand. Sai knew Sasuke from their last encounter at the Tenchu Bridge that he was working with Orochimaru and Kabuto. What happened to their alliance?

In any case, Naruto was willing to put himself on the line for that bastard. As Sai started to walk home, he only said one thing in his mind: _'Naruto's got more balls than I thought...even when the odds are against him...'_

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:

**New Rivals**  
_(_新しいライバル _Atarashii Raibaru)_

Karin ends up making a new enemy. Meanwhile, Suigetsu spends time with Miyuki at the hospital and something or someone interrupts them...with a hard apple to the face!


	33. Chapter 26: New Rivals

CHAPTER 26

**New Rivals**  
_(_新しいライバル _Atarashii Raibaru)_

The bright sun was shining brightly in the sky and the soft breeze caressed the world with its sweet yet calming sensation. It has been almost a week since Sasuke had came back and brought all of his partners with them. Team Hawk had been recuperating in the hospital as well as the two girls, Nariko and Miyuki. Nariko was in the ICU for a few days, but she was later released and was put in a normal patient's room. It was also around that time that Nariko been had reunited with her baby sister after being away from her for so long.

When they had seen each other for the first time in three months, Miyuki and Nariko had ran to each other and embraced one another like they haven't seen each other in years. It was a beautiful moment for them and ever since, the two were always hanging out with one another...with Nariko sneaking into Miyuki's room at night to talk.

In her room, Karin was just waking from her relaxed slumber and she had saw Ino walking in with her clipboard, ready to write down all the reports concerning Karin's health and recovery. The redhead had turned away from the blonde in annoyance, not wanting Ino to even bother tending to her duties. Of course, the blonde ignored her scowling face and continued to proceed with what she came there to do.

"Good morning, Karin-san..." Ino greeted, trying to be polite.

"Morning...umm...what was your name again...?" Karin said, completely forgetting her name on purpose just to upset the medic nin, but it wasn't working.

"It's Ino, Karin-san..." the blonde answered exasperated. It was clear that Karin was trying to start something between her for no good reason. "Didn't I tell you that yesterday?"

"Yeah. I guess I just forgot." Karin said with an innocent smile...even though it was nowhere near innocent. Ino saw right through that and she shook her head in amusement.

Ignoring her own thoughts, Ino continued with her procedure. "So, how are you feeling this morning...? Or are you feeling more chagrined then you did yesterday?"

Karin smirked from the blonde challenging her. "I feel fine to be honest. My neck is 100% healed thanks to Sakura. There is something I would like know, though. Is this standard procedure or are you doing this to make yourself seem smarter?"

Ino felt her forehead veins throbbing and wanting to pop. The blonde haven't dealt with someone like her in a very long time. Ino asked herself why did she have to take care of this patient, but she didn't dwell on it. In fact, she just simply smiled at the redhead kunoichi. "You my dear...are a piece of work..."

"The same could be said about you..." Karin said as she adjusted her glasses.

Things around here were really getting interesting in more ways than one.

**XxX**

On the other side of the hospital, haughty laughter and sweet giggles filled the air as two people were eating lunch together in one of the rooms. For the past two hours, a girl and a young man were having the time of the lives and keeping each other company. Right now, they were playing a little game...to help them get to know each other...

"You seem so nice and sweet, but you also have a fierce disposition during certain situations. So I gotta know...what kind of guy do you like? As a friend or...something more...?" The water nin asked with a smirk as he ate some of his yogurt. Suigetsu was glad that they didn't give him any hospital food, since he really didn't like food with any seasoning on it. Sakura was gracious enough to bring him a tray full of yogurt, ice cream, and gelatin. God, he loved that stuff!

Miyuki blushed slightly from when Suigetsu had smirked at her. She didn't know if he was being flirty, playing around, or being serious. It was kind of hard for her to tell, but she shook the thoughts away and answered his question.

"What I...like? Suigetsu-kun, where did that question come from?" Miyuki asked, looking at him with a look of suspicion and worry. She didn't know why he had asked the question from the start, but she wouldn't back down from it either. So, she challenged him. "Are you pulling a joke on me or you just asking me that out of curiosity...?"

Suigetsu chuckled from that answer. I guess a little bit of him had rubbed off onto her, which was pretty cool in his opinion. Miyuki was starting to fully open up and talk freely with him. It was crazy how some things could change in the short time span of three months. "Nah, kitten. I consider us friends and yet we still don't know that much about one another and it would be good to know some of those things. I just wanna know...because I want to get to know you more. Besides, I'm bored as hell and I need something to do to kill some time while we're prisoners in the hospital."

Miyuki laughed from his explanation. He made a good point. Even though they knew each other for only three months, it never hurt to sit down and try to learn more about the person that you're friends with. But then again, she knew that the two of them can't be too close, either. Plus, she knew that being in the hospital for a while would grate on people's nerves at some point.

"Well...the one thing I like most about a guy is that he is caring and understanding. There's just something about that quality that draws me into a guy. When it comes down to something more...I like a guy who is willing to show tenderness with his mesmerizing eyes. That alone...is what makes the guy I care about the most...more beautiful than anything..."

"Is that right...?" Suigetsu inquired as he ate some more yogurt. That was an interesting answer. He wasn't expecting from her at all.

"Okay then, Sir Swordsman. Time to throw the question right back at you. You are funny and you have a great personality to boot, but you also have a killing intent and you love to kill during certain situations. So I gotta know...what kind of girl do you like? As a friend or...something more...?" The blonde kunoichi asked in a serious tone, scooting a little closer to him.

"One thing I like most about a girl is bravery. Nothing turns me on faster than that and also a girl who's a free spirit and likes to have fun, too. But when it comes down to something more, I like a girl with a nice shape..." Suigetsu had brought his hand up to caress the softness of Miyuki's hair. "... a pretty face..." The water nin's hand had went to her face and he let his fingertips grazed the side of Miyuki's cheek. "...soft lips..."Suigetsu tilted his head to the side and started to lean in.

"Suigetsu-kun?" Miyuki was so entranced that she didn't even acknowledged the fact that his face was slowly moving closer to hers. The closer he got, Suigetsu's eyelids became heavier and Miyuki's eyes fluttered closed.

As quick as lightning, a flying red about object was hurdling towards the two of them. With a loud clunk, the red apple had collided against Suigetsu's head, making the water nin fall onto his side. Miyuki had opened her eyes and she seen a familiar person leaning against the doorway, taking a huge bite out of an apple that she had in her hand.

"Nariko..." Miyuki said and she laughed weakly as a sweatdrop had formed on the back of her head. _'Oh no...Sis, don't do this again...'_Nariko and Suigetsu had met each other two days ago and Nariko did not like him at all. It had something to do with Suigetsu tickling Miyuki until she landed on the floor and Nariko walked in on them, assuming that the water nin was trying to take advantage of her baby sister. Nariko had literally thrown him off of her and called him a perverted shark for trying to making a pass at her. Even since then, those two have not been on good terms.

"Okay, shark boy. You got 15 seconds to explain to me what the hell you were trying to do? Were you trying to take the first kiss of my baby sister?" Nariko said, rolling up the sleeves on her hospital shirt.

"Nariko, please stop acting that way around him! He is my friend, you know! What happened two days ago was purely an accident!" Miyuki explained.

"Chibi-chan, you need to pump your breaks, all right? You keep acting like that and you'll never get a boyfriend...or anybody for that matter..." Suigetsu spat back.

The water nin had remembered meeting Nariko for the first time. It took him by surprised that Nariko had resembled Sasuke so much. It was almost scaring, but the thing that he noticed that the raven did not act like Sasuke at all. She was loud, rude, and somewhat arrogant. Suigetsu guessed that he should be grateful that Nariko really didn't act like him.

"For your information, fish boy, I don't care about that! And another thing, I like ti-"

"Noooooo! Nariko, please don't finish that sentence..." Miyuki pleaded, shaking her head back and forth. The blonde loved her elder sister dearly, but that was something she did not want to hear...

"Know It All!" Suigetsu yelled.

"Prick!" Nariko shot back.

"Smartass!"

"Dumbass!"

"Blackhead!"

"Whitehead!"

Nariko and Suigetsu were now growling at each other in fury and a dangerous staredown had started between them. It became so bad that electricity emanated from their eyes and clashed with each other, making it almost unbearable for Miyuki to not get scared from it.

"**YOU MAKE ME SICK!**" Nariko and Suigetsu yelled at the same time.

"Stop it! Stop it right now!" Miyuki yelled, hoping that her older sister and the guy that she considered a friend would not really fight each other. From the look that Suigetsu was giving to Nariko, that logic was quickly thrown out the window. She only hoped that a certain someone wouldn't come near the room. But when she sensed said someone at the doorway, Miyuki realized that it was already too late and their were in big trouble. The blonde trembled in fear and blue lines began to form under her left eye as she gripped the blankets under her.

The raven and the water nin had stopped arguing and they noticed that Miyuki was acting strange. Her lips quivered and they even saw perspiration rolling down her face. Basically, she was scared out of her wits. "S-S-S..."

"Miyuki, what's wrong?" Nariko had asked and Suigetsu had followed the raven by asking, "Yeah! What's got you spooked?"

Miyuki slowly pointed a shaky finger at what she was staring at and the two of them had looked to see for themselves. When they did, Nariko and Suigetsu had jumped and nearly screamed in panic from seeing a very...very...very pissed off Sakura standing there, gripping her clipboard to the point of almost breaking it. The pinkette's free hand was curled into a tight fist and her eyes were narrowed in anger.

"**WHAT IS ALL THIS RACKET IN HERE?**" Sakura hollered, feeling completely agitated and irritable.

Then the absolute worst had happened. The two of them had started yelling at each other at the same time, which gave Sakura a searing migraine headache. She tuned out most of their shouting and rubbed her temples in aggravation from having to deal with this. She has had a rough morning and she did not have the patience to deal with the commotion and disruption at the moment. Sakura honestly didn't care who started it, but she was certainly gonna finish it. Plus, some of the patients have been complaining about not being able to rest because of the loud noises that these two made from their arguing. Disturbing her patients in the hospital was a serious pet peeve for Sakura and she was going to neutralize the situation...with brute force.

"He / She started it!" Nariko and Suigetsu finished in perfect unison, glaring at each other with distaste for the other person.

"**KNOCK IT OFF YOU TWO!**" And the raging medic nin had severely punished the two bickering shinobi by slapping Nariko across her cheek, making the raven spin around until she ungracefully hit the floor with her butt in the air. Then, Suigetsu was slapped so hard that water splashed against the hospital and fell face-first unto the tiled floor. Since Miyuki didn't do anything, she didn't have to worry about getting hit by her scary future Godmother.

Cracking her knuckles and tilting her head to the side to free her neck from stiffness, Sakura had grabbed Suigetsu by the back of his shirt and started to drag him out of the room. "**OKAY, SHARK BOY! YOU'RE GOING BACK TO YOUR ROOM!**"

"Are you kidding me, Pinkie? She's the one who started it! She threw an apple upside my head! WHY DOES SHE GET TO STAY? KITTEN, SAVE ME!" Suigetsu said squirming as he playfully reached out a hand for the the blonde to grab, but Miyuki was too far away to reach for him.

"Suigetsu, either you be quiet or you will stay in this hospital permanently!" Sakura warned him and she turned to Nariko, who was snickering at Suigetsu. "And Nariko... I will be back for you later, young lady!"

Nariko straighten up and gulped from hearing the venom in Sakura's voice. She meant business and and the knew that arguing with her would be like asking for her to kill you, so she let it go for now. With that said and done, Sakura had closed the door behind her. The two girls sat in silence and what Sakura had said to Nariko didn't dawn on them until a few seconds later, "Sh...She knows?" the finally said.

**XxX**

The evening had came a few hours later and the sky was full with stars and a beautiful white full moon. The sound of soft meshing on the concrete ground echoed in the dark place where he was heading at. These footsteps belonged to the one and only Naruto Uzumaki as he continued to walk to his destination with his hands in his pockets. In this case, he wasn't going home...he was going to see a certain someone who had been put into a dark place a few days ago.

Inside said place, someone was sitting down and he heard the slow footsteps approaching him. He didn't bother to look to see who it was since he could tell by chakra sense alone. The footsteps came to a halt and for a moment, there was complete and utter silence.

"I can't believe the shit that's going on right now because of you...or should I say 'Welcome back home...Sasuke..."

At that moment, obsidian eyes had met clear blue as the blond shinobi had presented himself to Sasuke outside of the cell that Sasuke was in. He was sitting on a bed and the Chakra Cuffs were no longer on his wrists, giving him some kind of freedom and movement. After pressing the button on the wall, it flashed red and the bars that kept Sasuke in had began to open up from the side. Naruto had locked his eyes on the rogue ninja, making sure he didn't try anything...even though he knew that Sasuke wouldn't because of these circumstances...

Naruto had walked inside the cell and the bars behind him started to close, locking the two of them in from the outside. After the bars were finally closed, the two boys were now alone...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:

**Our Moment**  
_(_私たちの瞬間 _Watashitachi no Shunkan)_

Naruto visits Sasuke at the Konoha High Ranking Containment Facility and the two boys are finally alone together. What will happen between these two and what feelings would be said on the night before the day that would change everything?


	34. Chapter 27: Our Moment

CHAPTER 27

**Our Moment**  
_(_私たちの瞬間 _Watashitachi no Shunkan)_

**Note**: Readers beware. In this chapter, Naruto's attitude and gestures will be a bit more cutthroat towards Sasuke, which is not normal for him. There will be no tenderness of words in here...until the very very end...

The silence in the room had taken over in that moment, letting the two young men look at each other with indifference and inquisitiveness. Icy blue eyes pierced through obsidian ones as the raven-haired criminal turned away from the apprehensive blond. Sasuke realized that Naruto's eyes had became...so cold...so cold that hell could have be frozen over three times. He had no idea that the blond could even show such a...disturbing disposition. His eyes are usually filled with warmth and brightness, but now...those qualities that Naruto had were not even present.

Naruto crossed his arms as he leaned against the metal bars of the cell. He let out a sigh as he tried to get his thoughts together. He wanted to shout and holler at the raven for leaving and coming back like it was nothing, but he knew that doing that was not going to get Sasuke to talk to him. In any case, it would push him even further away. He had to come up with a way to start the conversation properly. Whatever he was going to do, he had better do it soon because he only had thirty minutes to speak with Sasuke.

Not dwelling on it, Naruto started the conversation with a simple statement, "For starters, I'm glad that you're back in the village, Sasuke. I didn't have to drag your ass back this time. I heard that you and your team had taken care of the Akatsuki. Is that true?" he asked, seeing what the raven would answer the question.

"Hn." Sasuke had said nothing. Nothing more and nothing less. Yes it was true that Taka had defeated the Akatsuki with teamwork and more importantly, Sasuke had defeated Tobi as well after learning the hidden truth behind Itachi's death. This was something he didn't want to talk about with Naruto. In fact, he wasn't even comfortable enough to tell him yet, so he brushed off the subject by smirking that smug, arrogant smirk that always grated on Naruto's nerves.

"I don't speak 'grunt' and 'asshole', Sasuke. You're gonna have to talk for real at some point otherwise you'll never get the chance to talk again. Even I won't be able to save you if it gets to that that point..." The blond answered back with a vice.

Sasuke studied the blond's expression. There wasn't even a hint of kindness coming from Naruto. He hasn't even cracked a single smile ever since he came back. Naruto was being extremely cold to him. This...this was something he did not expect. This kind of behavior...was not becoming of Naruto at all. It didn't suit him.

"Are you gonna sit there and look stupid or are you gonna start talking to me? Because, you're wasting what little time I have left in here, you know. Tomorrow...tomorrow is the day that will change everything. Aren't just a little concern about it? You will have to fight for your rights all by yourself and I'm not gonna lie...it doesn't look good for you..."

Sasuke said nothing once again. He just turned away from Naruto and listened to him, even though no amount of words were going to change his mind nor help him at this point.

"Tomorrow, the Elders are going to do everything in their power to have you dead and with the Daimyō on their side, there's really nothing you can do. The sad thing is that no one can represent you or speak on your behalf. If that happens, it would look like that person is betraying their alliance for the village for your sake...But..." Naruto explained. _'I would, but I can't...!'_

Naruto grounded his teeth as he remembered why he couldn't help Sasuke. The Elders had gave specific orders to Tsunade that he and along with the members of Konoha 11 were excluded from coming near the Konoha Precinct House until the trial was over. They admitted all the jonins from the teams because they were high-ranking ninja, but Naruto was no fool. Those damn people just didn't anything or anyone to obstruct them while they put Sasuke through pure hell.

"And what if I want to die..." Sasuke finally said after a long and painful silence. This made Naruto stare at him with wide eyes, wishing that Sasuke did not really mean what he had said. "...Naruto..."

"You won't, Sasuke..." The blond answer behind hooded eyes.

"W-What?" Was the raven's only response.

"I won't let you die..." Naruto had said with emotion hidden in his voice. "You...you can't die..."

"What the hell are you talking about?" That...was a stupid question on Sasuke's behalf. He knew what was going to come next and he didn't want to hear it.

"I'm through with listening to what others have to say to me about you on this matter. I'm saving you because I want to, not because I have to. I don't care how much it demeans me or you...you're my best friend and I won't let those people take your life away..."

"Naruto..." Sasuke had clenched his hand into a tight fist and he stood up from his prison futon. "You still don't get it. I'm not asking for you to save me. I never wanted you to save me! Why can't you just accept the fact that I don't want to be saved? I _**can't **_be saved! I deserve to die...and don't want a second chance at life! If I do, I'll just end up walking down the wrong path again. The best thing for me, everyone, and the shinobi world itself is to seal my life away permanently..."

"As long as I'm still breathing and walking on this Earth, I'm gonna keep trying until I reach out to you!" Naruto declared while taking a few steps forward. "I won't let it happen!"

Sasuke chuckled from the blond's comeback. Naruto was just as stubborn as ever. "Hmph. You are still blinded by your talks about bonds and your promises that you can't see the reality right in front of you..." he mused.

"I'm not the same person I was a few years ago. I have gotten a strong grip about the pains of reality, but an even stronger grip about life in general. I'm trying to save a comrade from meeting an earlier end...and to give him a chance to start over..." Naruto bit back in slight anger.

"Are you gonna throw that high and mighty speech shit at me again?" Sasuke questioned dangerously.

"Trying to find an easy way out...just makes you look like a coward."

"...?"

Sasuke only hoped that he had heard wrong because if he didn't, he would **really** get the death sentence by murdering Naruto in this cell. "What the fuck did you just call me?"

"You heard me, Sasuke. I called you a coward because that's exactly what you're acting like right now! Are you that afraid to let yourself turn over a new leaf? Are that ashamed of how much you tarnished the Uchiha name with your actions and decisions? Are you really that-"

"Shut up! Just shut up, Naruto!" Sasuke yelled out. "You're the last person I want to hear that from! You don't understand! You can't possibly understand! You're still a _**child**_ living in a fantasy, hoping that things would just fall back into place and pick up where they left off! Life doesn't work like that, Naruto!"

Naruto was trying to be reasonable, but if Sasuke wanted bark and yell at him, then he was going to do the same thing. "And you're a child _**still**_ trying to run away from your problems, Sasuke! In case you haven't noticed, life doesn't work that way, either! You think you're being responsible, but you're not! All you're doing...is running away...As if that is gonna help you!"

"You're hurting yourself for my sake...I want you to stop..." Sasuke said and he hollered in aggravation. "...stop trying to be the damn hero all the time and leave it alone for once in your life!"

The next thing Sasuke did not see coming. A tan fist had collided with the left side of his face and he stumbled onto his side on the ground. The raven had sat up and he saw a clearly agitated blond in front of him with his body leaning over and breathing hard.

"People are calling me a fool because of **you**! Everyday, I train and train myself until I drop...just so I can get stronger to try and bring you back! Kakashi still has faith in you...but everyone else has given up on you on returning to the path of good...even Sakura-chan! She even told me to give up on you and you know what I told her? I told her I couldn't go back on my promise! Here I am, trying to save your sorry ass and you're still acting like an asshole and being ungrateful! I have to deal with it enough as it is and I don't need this shit from you right now!"

That cruel declaration from Naruto...had silenced any other words that either of them would have to say to one another. After a while...it became quiet and not one of them had spoken another word...

**XxX**

At her home, Sakura was in her room watching the stars through her open window. She was thinking about the trial tomorrow and her heart was softly palpitating, dreading the outcome of what would possibly happen. Sakura was worried sick about Naruto. He couldn't do anything to keep Sasuke away from the Elders' wrath. She couldn't really do anything, neither. All Sakura could really do was hope and pray that a miracle would happen...

"Naruto...please...help Sasuke-kun..." Sakura whispered to herself. "Save him falling into the depths of hell...for our team...and save him for yourself...Naruto..."

_'You're the only one who can...I know you will...'_

**XxX**

Back in the cell, Naruto and Sasuke were still silent from the verbal / physical altercation from earlier. Sasuke had a red bruise forming on his cheek from when Naruto had hit him. After a while, things had calm down for the two of them. Naruto anger had subsided and Sasuke was talking a little bit more, which made the blond feel a little better. Not too long ago, Naruto had asked him why he had came back to the village and Sasuke had willingly told him the reason for his return, but this had took a rather interesting turn...

"So...you came back for my sake? And that someone was going to try and kill me? I know you way too well, Sasuke. You wouldn't come back here on your own free will just for that. So I'm asking you one more time...Why did you come back?"

Sasuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had just told him entire truth of why he came back and Naruto didn't believe him? In a sense, Sasuke couldn't blame the blond for having his suspicions. On the other hand, Naruto wanted to believe him, but his mind was telling him otherwise. His heart knew there was truth to what Sasuke was saying to him, but...

"Naruto, I need to know something. Have you met the young girl that Taka was traveling with yet?" Sasuke asked.

"Miyuki? Umm...no, I haven't. Why do you ask?"

"When you see her, try not to catch a heart attack..." Sasuke said with a smug smirk, secretly wanting to see how Naruto would react. Well, he had no room to talk because that's exactly what almost happened to him when he saw Nariko for the first time.

_'What the hell does he mean by that? I guess I'll have to find that out when the trial is over...'_Naruto was about to make a serious jump in the dark with his next question, but he hoped that Sasuke wouldn't skin him alive for asking him such a thing. "Sasuke, is it possible...that it has anything...to do with your brother, Itachi and Tobi...?"

A serious nerve was struck. Naruto did **not** just go there...

"Naruto..." Sasuke said, warning him not to prod any further. "...this isn't something you should worry about. It's not that important. Besides, it's my problem, not yours..."

So the blond was right. It did had something to do with Itachi...but if Naruto wanted Sasuke to tell him on his own, he would have to back off of that subject for a while. "Sasuke, you may think I don't understand your feelings, but I do. Deep within your heart, in some way...there are things that are important to you, isn't there...?"

Naruto was now in arm's reach in front of Sasuke and he takes the last few steps to close the gap between them. "Believe it or not, you're important to us. You're important to Kakashi-sensei...you're important to Sakura-chan and...you're important to me as well...especially to me..."

The talking had ceased and the two boys were now looking at each other with intense eye contact, which had the two of them feeling uneasy at the moment. Being bold, Naruto had raised his right hand and placed it on Sasuke's smooth cheek. The two of them were lost in their own world and right now, nothing else in the world existed to them.

They were only inches apart now and they can feel each other's body heat radiating from the other as Naruto's eyelids had become slightly heavier. Unable to take it anymore, Naruto softly pressed his lips against Sasuke's and obsidian eyes widen in shock from the action that Naruto had took. Sasuke didn't know whether to stop him or not, but Naruto's lips against his weren't so bad. In fact, they felt nice...nice and soft...

Sasuke was indeed surprised that the blond had took the initiative to kiss him on his own, but he didn't it mind at all. In fact, he welcomed it by placing his arms around the small of Naruto's back and kissing him back with a searing kiss of his own. Naruto had also wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist and continued to kiss him with all his worth. After a short while, Sasuke pulled away and glanced at Naruto who still had his eyes closed. Naruto felt something soft and wet licked his bottom lip, almost asking and tempting him to open up for entrance.

When Naruto realized it was Sasuke's tongue, he parted his lips slightly and let the raven slipped his hot appendage inside of his moist mouth. The kiss deepen and Sasuke grabbed the back of Naruto's head and pulled him closer to his body, closing the gap between them. Naruto had gripped the back of Sasuke's shirt and the swirling of their tongues commenced, teasing and tasting one other in a fight for dominance. Of course neither of them would give the other the satisfaction of letting the other person win, so they continued to ravish each other's lips with their kiss.

Shortly after, they pulled away from each other, a shining trail of clear liquid was connected to their lips and it broke. The two shinobi panted in small breaths, reminiscing about the first kiss that they had just shared willingly. They waited so long...so long for that one kiss and it had finally happened. Even though Sasuke didn't want it to happen so soon, he was glad that it did happen. At least he would know if he was to die tomorrow, he was able to kiss Naruto and convey some of his feelings for the first and possibly...his last time.

The blond shinobi pressed his forehead against the raven's and waited for him to reply or say something to him. Nervousness had settled in when Naruto saw that Sasuke's hands had slowly went to the zipper of his orange jumpsuit jacket. Naruto pulled his eyes away from Sasuke for a moment as his hands had placed themselves on the raven's chest. If Sasuke was feeling even a smidget of what he was feeling at that moment, then his heart was pounding at an alarming rate.

And he was right. Naruto felt Sasuke's heartbeat and it was beating just as much as his was. Just like in the dream that he had about him in the past. Naruto didn't have much time left and he wanted to feel Sasuke's lips against his one more time before he would have to leave. As if reading his mind, Sasuke had turned the blond's face towards his and he pressed his lips against his once again. It was little rough, but it was also sweet, which was not what he expected to feel from Sasuke at all. While Sasuke occupied Naruto with his mouth, the hand that was on the zipper began to pull it down.

Sensing what Sasuke was doing, Naruto had stopped him and ceased his kiss with him. It's not like he didn't want to go further; he just didn't want to do anything...crazy at the moment and especially not in a jail cell. That was absolutely out of the question. Besides, now was not the time to even be thinking about that. Zipping up his now open jacket, Naruto took his hand into his and looked at him with a calm yet bound expression. "Sasuke, there's something I need to ask you...It's very important..."

The raven's eyes widen ever so slightly from the blond's question and his brow furrowed from the look that Naruto was giving off. Sasuke knew that look better than anybody and he figured that the blond was about to tell him something serious or he was about to do something incredibly ludicrous. It's not like his words were gonna stop Naruto from doing what he was gonna do, so he saw no point in trying to convince him otherwise. "What is it, Naruto?"

"Sasuke, when this...and everything else is all over...would you...can we-"

The loud boom the metal door and hard footsteps shattered Naruto's train of thoughts and he realized that his time was up. Naruto was a little disappointed that he couldn't tell Sasuke what was on his mind, but if Sasuke made it through the trial, then maybe he would tell him. Not dwelling on his thoughts anymore, Naruto has turned around and made his way to the steel bars of the cell, waiting for Shikamaru and the ANBU accompanying the shadow user to come and open the gate for him.

Naruto gripped the metal bars in grievance and he whispered in a driven voice, "Sasuke, I don't care what you say because I'm not just saving you to keep the bond that we used to have. I'm saving you from your own self destruction. Honestly, I want to help you, Sasuke...I want you to see the light again...I want you to know what happiness is once again...to embrace the feeling of being alive and living life...Everyone deserves a second chance, because no one is perfect...not even you. We all make mistakes and the only way to mend them is by staying alive to fix them...You can't do that if you're dead. Remember that..."

When the ANBU had came and opened the cell up to let him out, Naruto had walked ahead of them as he put his hands into his pockets.

"Naruto, did you..." Shikamaru really didn't know how to ask Naruto how things went between those two. He usually didn't concern himself with such troublesome matters, but he knew...deep within his heart that Naruto had possibly shared some...harsh words with the raven. "...did you do what you have to do...?"

From hearing the question, it was that moment when the usually strong-hearted shinobi had let a bright white trail slivered down the left side of his face. It wasn't a moment later when the white liquid dripped down his chin. "Yeah..."

Sasuke had turned away from the metal bars that kept him locked inside his cell and faced the small square opening that gave him the perfect view of the full Moon. After the footsteps disappeared and the loud clang of the metal door was closed shut, he brought his cold fingertips to his lips and he pressed, feeling some of the soft moisture that was left from when Naruto had kissed him. His expression was indifferent and somewhat confused and lost at what Naruto had said to him. Sasuke finally understood why Naruto was going so far for him, but he wanted the blond to stop. He wanted Naruto to stop fighting for him. He did not want to take Naruto down with him...That was something he did not want to do...

Sasuke hung his head low, letting the long midnight fringes of his bangs hood his eyes. Not wanting to acknowledge it, he felt a stinging sensation in his eyes as he bit his gum from inside of his mouth in anger and oscillation. His best friend was destroying himself...all for his sake...and his happiness, which he thought he didn't deserve. Naruto was hurting...because of him...it was all his fault...He truly was the source of Naruto's agony...

_'Naruto...you're important to me, too...'_

Ignoring his own feelings, a shining white trail cascaded down the right side of his face until it stopped at the end of his cheek and the salty liquid that was called tears had made itself known on the stoic Uchiha's face. Nor did he bother wiping the tears away nor did he cared, because tomorrow was the day that he would atone for everything that he had done...and there was no stopping it...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:

**Day of Reckoning**  
_(_で清算の日 _Seisan no Hi)_

Shinobi from all over world are gathering...the air is thick with mixed emotions...one shinobi fights for another while the rest wanted him dead...The day...has finally arrived...


	35. Chapter 28: Day of Reckoning

CHAPTER 28

**Day of Reckoning**  
_(_で清算の日 _Seisan no Hi)_

Naruto, who was currently at his apartment was lying down on top of the blankets of his bed. He didn't bother trying to go to sleep, because he knew it wasn't gonna do him any good. The whole time he was laying in his bed, he thought about Sasuke...and what was about to happen. His best friend...he was...when it was all over, he was going to die. Of all the times to be completely helpless, it just had to be this time. This time...he really couldn't do anything to help Sasuke. The blond turned over on his side and faced the open window, where he saw countless birds flying in the sky.

He gripped the pillow out of anger and vexation for losing yet another chance to save the person that literally meant everything to him. Naruto has have everything taken away from him: his parents, his rights for being treated like a human being, and now...he was gonna have the closest bond he had ever made with anyone...taken away. He dealt with severe mental pain in the past, but this...this would be something he would not be able to handle well. The more he thought about it, the stronger the dull, throbbing pain in his heart had became.

This was so frustrating to him and his blue eyes were glossed over with sadness and defeat. For the first time in his life, he could NOT do anything or rescue anyone. It made him feel so weak and sick for not being to try and rescue Sasuke. That defining fact...was slowly destroying his mentality and will power.

A hard knock awakened Naruto from his thoughts and he groggily looked over at the door. He didn't want to see anyone right now and if that person had any kind of respect, they would leave and not knock on the door again. When the blond heard the knocks again, he got up from his bed and trudged his way over to the door. Naruto wondered who could it be this early in the morning. Whoever it was, he was gonna tell them to buzz off and continued to sulk in his bed in peace. When he got to the door, he placed his hand around the doorknob and turned it, letting the wooden door open on its own.

As it continued to open with its creaking sound, Naruto snapped out of it when he was greeted with a familiar face in front of the doorway of his apartment. With his hands resting casually resting in his pockets, his narrow brown eyes locked onto blue ones as the person looked at Naruto with a perplexed expression.

"Shikamaru..." Naruto said, letting out an exasperated yawn. "...what are you doing here?"

Shikamaru had done everything he could for Naruto during the week, but he couldn't just sit by and watch Naruto steadily destroy himself for one person. The genius had so much faith in Naruto and he was not about to let him give up now. For the future king of Konoha, "Giving up" was not suppose to be in his vocabulary. And now...he was about to take on a possible suicide mission for his sake. Naruto more than just a comrade to him, he was one of his dearest friends to him and he was also...

"Naruto...you must save Sasuke...at any cost." Was the strong reply from the shadow user, his eyes filled with a serious expression. The blond shinobi didn't know what Shikamaru was talking about all of a sudden, but he was not in the mood to listen to any kind of talking right now. Shikamaru knew that Naruto couldn't do anything, so why was he trying to convince him otherwise?

"Shikamaru, you and I both know that there is nothing we can do at this point. We've tried everything. The Elders won. We lost. It's over..." Naruto turned away from his friend, letting the blond spikes in his hair hide his eyes.

Shikamaru blinked in shock from the answer Naruto gave him. The usually cheerful and insightful boy that always shining with the strive to never give up...was now throwing in the towel? That was not the Naruto that he knew. The genius had to come up with a way to get Naruto out of his depression before it killed him in the long run and the only way to do that...was to tell him something that he would never expect to hear from him. It wouldn't hurt to try it, though Shikamaru was not up to the idea of forcing Naruto to do something that he didn't want to do. At this point, anything to snap the blond out of it would do some serious good.

"Well, this is a disappointment. I never thought I would hear you of all people say you give up. I honestly thought you were stronger than that, but I guess I was wrong. So...are you really gonna let the person who you cared about the most...the person who you thought about more than anything just die?" Shikamaru said, taking a step towards him and this is where he tested his own mettle. "Are you really...gonna let your most precious person die?"

The blond had paused and his eyes widen from hearing what Shikamaru had said to him. Naruto had turned back to him and faced him with an somewhat surprised expression. Did he...did Shikamaru find out his true feelings for Sasuke? The blond had not shown romantic feelings of any kind towards Sasuke...except for feelings of friendship and when they were alone the night before. So, how did he...figured it out?

"Shikamaru...you..." Naruto started to say, but he stopped right there. "...you mean..."

After the blond spoke, the shadow user just looked at him with a faint smile...a smile that clearly said...he knew all along about his true attachments to the Uchiha...

**XxX**

A certain raven was sitting up in her hospital bed, watching the golden and crimson sunrise rise across the borders of the village. Her eyes eyes were filled with distress and worry...a feeling that she thought it was impossible for her to feel. She hasn't seen Naruto at all ever since she and Miyuki had returned to the village and that was bothering her. Where was he anyway and why haven't been here to check up on them during the week. That wasn't like him at all.

Looking over her shoulder, Nariko smiled gently at her baby sister was still asleep in the bed next to her. She was glad that Miyuki was able to get some sleep during this situation. Whenever Nariko woke up at an ungodly hour in the morning, something terrible was about to happen. Her nerves would be shaken up and her mind would be in a hazy like state. But this time, the feeling was different. Nariko's heart was now beating irregularly in addition her normal symptoms.

_Something is seriously wrong, but I can't pinpoint what it is...'_Nariko ran her delicate fingers through her hair and started to wonder...what was it that was making her feel this way...

And then...very softly, an alluring sound interrupted her thoughts.

_"Nariko...Miyuki...we're here..."_

Nariko gasped when she heard the familiar voice and she knew what she had to do now. Being quick, the raven hurried out of her bed and slipped her white slippers that was near the window. She went by her sister's bed and began to shake Miyuki in order to wake her up. "Miyuki, get up! It's-"

"I know, sis..." Her voice answered dryly as she turned over in her bed to face her sister. "I know..."

Nariko raised her eyebrow in confusion when she saw the expression that her little sister was wearing. Miyuki's cheeks were moist and there were semi-swelling and puffiness around her eyes. Plus, her pillow was stained and wet from the possible liquid that emanated from her soft blue eyes.

"Miyuki..." Nariko questioned, placing her hand on her shoulder. "...were you crying...?"

"Yeah, I was..." Miyuki answered while she wiped away the wet trails from around her eyes. "...but it's not important right now..."

Nariko wanted to get the truth out of her, but now was not the time. Knowing Miyuki, she would tell her eventually and there was no need to try and pry it out of her. "You're right, Miyuki. Let's go...but we'll have to be extremely quiet. You still know how to silence out the sounds when you're running, right?"

"Yes." Miyuki nodded in approval while getting out of bed and putting her slippers on.

Wasting no more time and sending chakra to their feet to mute out the sound, the girls ran out of their room and quickly made their way down the long hallway. The hospital was generally the same as the one back in their time, but the difference was the hospital back home was much more expanded. Almost reaching a dead end, the girls made a left turn and headed up the stairs that lead up to the top of the facility. It wouldn't be long now...that Nariko and Miyuki...would see some nice familiar faces again...

"Nariko, we only have a few more trips around to get to the top." Miyuki told her with a hint of happiness.

"Yeah...lovely..." In all honesty, she was not looking forward to seeing the other female that was on her team. As genin, the two of them would fight all the time and pick on each other ruthlessly. Miyuki would have to be the one trying to stop them from biting each other's head off whenever they saw one another. Over time, the two girls had gotten along slightly better but it hasn't changed much. "She's gonna kick my ass when she finds out I punched her Dad in the face, though..."

"Well, she doesn't know that, now does she?" Miyuki replied with a cute wink. "I just hope you two won't start fighting when you see each other..."

After turning one last corner, the two girls finally made it and they opened the door that lead them outside on top of the hospital. Around this time, the sun was They had slowed down when they got there and they found no one outside. Nariko had sensed their presence and so did Miyuki. So where were they?

"Okay, I know I'm not going crazy. I knew I had sensed their chakra..." Nariko said, slightly irritated and she crossed her arms as she pouted.

"Yo." A young male's voice chided from above them.

Nariko and Miyuki brought their attention to two figures that were standing on top of the hospital entrance. One was a male and the other was a female. The sun was obscuring their appearance and they couldn't see them, but the girls knew who they were. The two figures jumped down to where they were and slowly walked towards them...

"Sarina..." Nariko smirked broadly when she saw the female figure appeared before her, revealing who she was. "...it's been a while, hasn't it, Hime-chan...?"

Sarina had short, curly red hair, smokey gray eyes, and fair skin. Under her left eye is a beauty mark the size of a tiny dot. Sarina was wearing a light blue shirt with a black floral design and a black skirt with normal shinobi sandals.

Sarina pouted from the nickname Nariko called her. The raven knew that the red-head hated that name, but she loved poking fun at her. "Didn't I tell you I hated that damn name?" Sarina hollered in vexation. "Stupid girl...and her stupid nicknames..."

"Stupid...names?" Nariko questioned, slightly offended. Nariko was ready to give Sarina a benefit of a doubt, but I guess that wasn't necessary. Some things just doesn't change.

Tuning them out, the male figure had walked towards Miyuki and greeted her with a kind smile. The young man had jet black hair that stops to his shoulders, pupiless dark red eyes, and a fair skin complexion. He was wearing a black short sleeve shirt with a high collar and dark red trimming around the sleeves, dark gray trousers with black shinobi sandals, and he wears mesh fishnet armor around his wrists. To further compliment his look, he wears black, square-framed glasses that sit loosely on his face and his hitai-ite around his waist through the belt loops of his pants.

"Kei-san...you're here as well?" Miyuki asked with a curious look.

"That's right, Miyuki-san. I couldn't let my little sister come here and try to handle things by herself. Besides, I gotta keep that fiery temper of hers under control...and apparently, I'm failing at doing my job..." Kei explained while he watched his sister and Nariko argue to no end. "So...how have things been over the past 3 months?"

"Well, things have gotten a little crazy. Me and my sister rain into our parents, we stayed with them, then the Bakudai planned an attack, but me and Nariko managed to thwarted them off, and we ended up in the hospital as you can clearly see..."

"I see. You two sure had it rough." Kei blinked at her and he adjusted his glasses from her explanation. "Miyuki, are you really okay? The Bakudai is nothing to sneeze at, you know?"

Miyuki giggled at Kei's concern. He was such a nice guy who was always concerned about other people's well being. It was such a nice quality to have for a guy. "Yeah, yeah, we're fine, Kei-san..."

Kei had glanced over at the two bickering kunoichi. He swear that the two of them act like an old married couple. He remembered the day that they became genin, Sarina and Nariko verbally fought in the classroom and they got suspended for it. He felt bad for them because they couldn't become genin that day and had remained demoted for another six months. "If you two are done making love with your words of distaste towards one another, I have some news for you." Kei announced while placing a hand on his hip and readjusting his glasses to sit more on his face.

The bickering instantly came to a halt and Nariko and Sarina went to stand to where Miyuki was.

"Now that I have gotten your attention, I'm pretty sure that you two know what's going on and why Naruto-sama hasn't come back to the hospital yet." Kei said and Nariko and Miyuki looked at one another with a confused look.

"Ummm...no we don't." The girls said in unison. Sakura hasn't told them where was Naruto or anything for that matter. What **was**going on?

Kei sighed from the answer. "I figured as much. Well, I might as well tell you girls, but I'm afraid that you're not gonna like what you're about to hear, though. During the week while Nariko and Miyuki were recuperating, Naruto-sama has been trying desperately to try and save Sasuke-sama from dying by the hands of the Elders. Last night, Naruto-sama had went to see Sasuke-sama one last time because...he will possibly die today..."

"..."

"**WHAT?**" Were the loud outbursts that came from both Nariko and Miyuki simultaneously.

**XxX**

In the streets on Konoha, many civilians and shinobi were gathering at the Konoha Precinct House and even more so, the Daimyō was being escorted inside of the building. The news about Sasuke's trial had literally spread across the village that it was being publicly filmed for people at their homes to actually see the trial take place live. To some, it was not necessary for the trail to be televised but for others, they had wanted to personally see such a traitor get what he deserved.

Inside the Konoha Precinct House, the courthouse was currently being filled with some of the Jonin and Special Jonin that were given private invitations to the trial. Of course among the Jonin were Kakashi Hatake and Yamato, who were surprised that they were even allowed to come to this trial.

Kakashi thought that because of his strong attachment towards his former student, he would be exempted from attending. That came as quite a shock to him. Yamato on the other hand was worrying about something happening that could cause the courtroom to possibly riot. Then again, he had heard that all the chunin were exempted from coming. Naruto was his main concern. Would the blond shinobi break the exemption code for this trial and come here to try to save Sasuke?

"Kakashi-sempai, should we go ahead and sit down?" Yamato asked as he saw the other shinobi started to settle in.

"I suppose so..." The copy nin just took a deep breath and sat down in a empty spot on the end of the row of seats. This was so depressing. In a few minutes, he would have to see his student walk in a courtroom full of people that wanted him dead and possibly blindfolded. He figured that Elders would take no chances in having him using his Sharingan on everyone in the room and trapping them in a genjutsu in order to try and escape.

"Let the trial of international criminal, Sasuke Uchiha...commence!" The moderator of the trial said out loud and the room had dimmed its lights, leaving only a few of the headlights on. At that moment, everything and everyone in the courthouse had went completely silent...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:

**Sasuke's Determination**  
_(_サスケの決意 _Sasuke no Ketsui)_

The trial starts and Sasuke defends himself against the Elders and the Daimyō. Meanwhile, Sarina and Kei tell Nariko and Miyuki about new developments retaining to the future. And Shikamaru gives Naruto a life-changing talk...


	36. Chapter 29: Tension and Pressure

CHAPTER 29

**Tension and Pressure**  
_(_緊張と圧力_, Kinchō to Atsuryoku)_

At the hospital, there was complete reticence. The only sounds that were made was the sounds of the harsh wind blowing furiously in the bright sky. Miyuki was shocked, Nariko felt her mind and speech go completely numb and Sarina had a concerned expression. This was not good. Not good at all.

"That...that can't be right..." Miyuki said in disbelief from what Kei had told her and the rest of the group.

"I'm afraid it is, Miyuki-san..." He concurred sadly. This was something that he wished he wouldn't have to tell the girls. Knowing Nariko, she was going to rage in anger the moment that information sank in.

"Bro, please tell me there's something we can do." Sarina inquired hopefully.

"No, there isn't, Sis." Kei stated as he crossed his arms. "Unfortunately, this is one event we can't involve ourselves in.

"Please tell me you're joking, Kei." The raven asked calmly, walking up to him.

"I wish I was-"

Before Kei could finish his sentence, Nariko harshly grabbed the front of his shirt with both of her hands, pulling him down to look at her face. She gripped his shirt tightly and was stretching it in the process. "Kei, me and my sister had just saved them from the 'Bakudai' and that was no problem. Now you're telling me that we can't do anything about this? The Elders will eat our Father alive if we don't do something! Don't you understand the severity of the situation?"

"And you're ignoring the consequences if you were to take those actions. Don't you remember what _**he**_ said? He made it perfectly clear not to interfere with actual events." Kei said and looked at Nariko warningly, his pure red eyes telling her to let go of his shirt. Being touched unnecessary was the one thing he could not stand. It irked and irritated him immensely. "If we were to try and step in and fix something that was _meant_ to happen, it could cause a serious rip in this timeline we're in..."

"The timeline could be ruptured for all I care!" Nariko answered in a frenzy, trying to control her anger. "I'm not coming this far just to sit here and do nothing! We can't let this happen!"

Kei hoped that piece of information would calm her down and let her think rationally, but it only had the opposite affect on her. "Nariko-san, you're blinded by rage and you're not thinking clearly. We all know how much you want to save Sasuke-sama, but this is something that Naruto-sama has to do on his own. If he saved him in the past, then he can do it again."

"He's right. Our mission is getting more and more dangerous by the day. We're getting to the point where we can't afford to make any mistakes. Now is not the time for us to be reckless." Miyuki said while walking up to her. "As terrible as it sounds, we can't just-"

"This is bullshit!" Nariko spat back in venom, causing Miyuki to throw her hands up in exasperation and turning away from her older sister. The blonde couldn't believe the mess she was hearing from her older sister.

"Okay. Two things. One: Stop raging at us like your damn hormones are on fire. And two: you need to shut the fuck up and chill out some damn where." Sarina pointed out, clearly annoyed by how childish she was acting.

"Who the hell are you talking to?" Nariko asked, ready to slit the redhead's throat for being so abrasive towards her. Sarina was truly asking to get her ass kicked.

"I'm talking to you!" Sarina challenged back with a vice. "You need to calm down!"

"You expect me to be calm while my Father's life is hanging by a thread?" The raven questioned.

"My brother has never been wrong when it comes down to stuff like this, so why would he be wrong now? Maybe you've forgotten, but we only have one chance at this mission! If we fail, I'm pretty sure you already know what will happen!" Sarina declared in animosity.

Not wanting to hear anymore of what they had to say, Nariko turned her back on them and trudged to where the fences were outside of the hospital. Leaning her head against it, she let out a calm sigh and let herself calm down from her strong rage.

Sarina made her way towards Nariko and placed her hand gently on the raven's shoulder. "Believe me, I understand how you feel and...we're gonna change the fate of everyone in this world. We just...have to be...a little patient..." The redhead said with more comfort in her voice.

There was truth to what they were saying. She couldn't lose her cool. Not right now anyway. "You're right, Sarina. You're absolutely right." Not bothering to turn around, Nariko laid her hand on top of Sarina's and gripped it in reassurance. "Thank you..."

"Okay. That's not right." Kei said, slightly miffed by the turn of events that had occurred. "How come I state the obvious, she gets upset, but when Sis talks horrid to her, she calms down. What the hell is that?"

"Beats me." Was Miyuki's only explanation for that question. "I hate when she gets like that...but I'm glad that Sarina was able to calm her down. Those two are like 'ice and spice'."

"Since the Konoha Precinct House is nearby, I can tell you what's going on by analyzing the frequency waves and vibrations in the chakra network of Naruto-sama, Sasuke-sama, and everyone else there."

Hearing that, Nariko had turned around and stared at him with wide eyes. "Wait a minute. You can do that? You have that level of sensory skill now?"

"Yes. So everything isn't a lost cause. I just need to concentrate and I'll interpret everything the best way I can." Kei answered and brought his hands together to form the Ram seal. Closing his eyes, he began to concentrate and focused on the multiple chakras that were inside of the place. Maybe there was hope after all...

**XxX**

As the crowd hurried and calmed down, they had settled down in their chairs and got ready for the trial to begin. Kakashi was not comfortable about sitting in a courtroom full of people that wanted one of his former student dead and it was taking a serious toll on him. Out of all his students, Sasuke was the one that he could relate to the most. He understood him about certain things, and talk to him about things that Naruto and Sakura couldn't begin to understand. So, this was slowly hurting him, even though his feelings didn't show on the outside.

"Will the defendant please enter the courtroom." The moderator announced as the wooden double-doors on the left side of the room slowly opened with an agonizing creaking sound. As it continued to open, the entire room full of people turned to where the door was and focused their attention on who was about to come in. A few moments later, the young man known for his crimes had stepped forward and he had two ANBU on either side of him. His eyes were bandaged up and his arms were tied behind his back, securing them tightly with thick rope.

Kakashi looked worriedly at the sight of his student being escorted in the room. His earlier hypothesis on what would happen had came true. Whispers of disgusting words escaped the lips of the shinobi as he continued to gaze upon Sasuke. As he walked, the raven had held his head down in shame and contempt and sneered in disgust from what the people in the room was saying about him. They were judging him and they didn't really know what his life was like.

Pain.

Destruction.

Obscurity.

Surrounded in darkness.

These people did not understand nor would they ever understand what he had to go through. The decisions he made...following and fighting for what he thought was right. It was not an easy thing for only one person to do. To shoulder the entire hatred of the Uchiha...was not something anyone could do.

When the Anbu got to the middle of the room, they forced Sasuke to sit down in the chair that had been placed there earlier. Not taking any chances, the ANBU carefully tied his wrists onto the armrests of the chair, making sure that he can't cast a ninjutsu or even weave a single hand sign.

"Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokada have volunteered to be the prosecutors and the Daimyō will be the judge for this particular case. We will begin the trial with your opening statement, Homura." The moderator said firmly.

"Thank you." From the table, Homura stood up and made his way up to the front of the room. "Ladies and gentleman of the Konoha Precinct House, this is a case about good and evil and the impossible roads between light and darkness. You all are here today because Sasuke Uchiha has been accused of multiple charges of attempt, disturbing the peace of another nation, and conspiracy with a criminal organization."

"This is _**not **_good..." Kakashi stated in a low voice, evaluating the situation.

"Sempai, how much **_do _**the Council know about Sasuke's life?" Yamato whispered, feeling the tension starting to build up in the room.

Kakashi propped his arm up on his leg and rest his chin on the back of his hand. "Tch. They know everything and it's about to come out in the open for everyone to hear..."

Homura was now on the opposite side of the room, leaning on the bench where Tsunade and other officials of the Fire Nation were sitting. "At one point, Sasuke even thought more about his teammates and started seeing them as family and he began to lose some of his hatred. During the Chunin Exams however, he was branded with Orochimaru's Curse Seal. Because of this, his disregarded his allies and his home and and his lust for power and vengeance has became his number one priority once again."

Multiple quiet responses erupted from the room and Kakashi grunted in frustration, wanting so badly to speak out. The copy nin knew by doing that would give him a 'Contempt to court' charge on his shinobi record. God, he didn't like not being able to do anything about this situation. He hated the fact even more that he couldn't help his student.

"To gain the power that he longed for so badly, Sasuke decided to take up Orochimaru's offer and left the village. Three years had passed and his teammates had made an attempt to rescue him while he...made an attempt to kill them. Sometime later, it was revealed that Orochimaru had been killed by Sasuke and formed his own team under the name of 'Hebi'. It was then that Sasuke had confronted his older brother, Itachi and the two of them fought at the old Uchiha Hideout. In the outcome of their battle, Sasuke had won, but after being taken in by Tobi of the Akatsuki, he later joined the organization after finding out the truth behind his brother." Homura finished and the shinobi in the room gasped in horror from what he had said. Tsunade on the other hand had narrowed her eyes in irritation.

Yamato had shook his head and covered his eyes with his palm after hearing that last statement.

"They must of done some digging around in the mission files. That's the only explanation I can come up with..." Kakashi speculated.

Sasuke grounded his teeth in vexation, squeezing his bound hands into the armrest of the chair. _'How dare they speak my brother's name...and in front of all these people. They're the ones who caused all this to happen in the first place. Those bastards...Those disgusting, filthy, back-stabbing bastards!'_

"Now as you listen to the testimony of the witnesses present here today, listen very carefully to was they have to say and throughout this entire trial, the prosecution will be proven without unreasonable doubt that this young man is indeed guilty." Koharu explained.

_'Witnesses?' _Kakashi thought. _'Sasuke's chances are getting slimmer by the second...' _

"Daimyō, if I may, can I bring in the witnesses?" Koharu questioned.

He nodded in approval from Koharu's request. "Please proceed."

"Would the witnesses step into the room, please?" Koharu announced. When the front doors opened, everyone was greeted with two male shinobi who were clad in standard uniform from the Land of Lightning...

**XxX**

Meanwhile, Shikamaru was standing inside Naruto apartment. Said blond had a look of hysteria on his face from what Shikamaru had told him.

"How...How did you...figure it out, Shikamaru?"

"It wasn't that hard to put everything together, Naruto." Did Naruto seriously think he could hide that from the sharpest mind in the village? The young genius smirk at the dumbfounded blond. He really was a hopeless one.

"I never showed any signs." The blond retorted back in defense.

"There was one thing I noticed...and it happened last night. When we were leaving last night, I noticed a tiny molecule of liquid glistening on your cheek. You didn't even bother trying to wipe it off your face." Shikmaru pointed out as he leaned against the nearby wall in Naruto's apartment.

"I see..." Naruto felt like there was no need to try and hide it from Shikamaru anymore.

"Naruto, when did your feelings for Sasuke began to change?" The shadow user inquired.

"About a year ago."

"And yet you harbored all these emotions and kept them to yourself?" Shikamaru knew the blond too well and the only thing he did not like to see was friends or comrades in physical or mental pain.

"Yes, I did. Shikamaru, it's bad enough that I want my bond with Sasuke to become something even deeper and stronger, but it's also wrong for me to have feelings for another man. It's unnatural, but I can't stop myself from what I'm feeling. And even now as we speak, the Council and just about everyone in that Precinct House is enjoying watching Sasuke suffer. Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-taicho are the only ones who will show sympathy towards him. The Elders are not gonna give him a chance to fight or defend himself. I want to save him so badly, but I can't do anything and it's killing me." After literally pouring out his, he buried his head into his hands.

"Naruto, I want you to stop angonizing over what you can't do and do something about this situation." He suggested, rubbing the back of his head and upset that Naruto was driving himself into a spiral of possible mental trauma.

Not listening to him, Naruto turned away from Shikamaru in his chair.

"I'm gonna regret this later. Since I can't get you out of this depression, I'm gonna have to force you out of it." Shikamaru swiftly turned Naruto around in his chair, startling the blond with his sudden action.

"Shikamaru, what are you doing?" Naruto exclaimed in shocked from the shadow user's unusual and forceful behavior.

Shikamaru then place his right thumb on Naruto's forehead and grabbed the back of his head. Closing his eyes, he focused his chakra, letting it flow until it reached his eyes and the tip of his fingers. "I can't take seeing you like this anymore. You need to get it back. You need to get back your Will of Fire."

"Nara Hiden: Mugen Shin'en."[奈良秘伝:無限深淵 (Nara Clan Secret Technique: Black Abyss)]

In moments, Naruto's mind was being overflowed with chakra and his vision was starting to become hazy. After trying to fight it, the blond had blacked out and he was steadily being pulled into a world of darkness. Shikmaru was gonna release Naruto from his depressive state...no matter what it took...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:

**Konoha's New Light**  
_(_木ノ葉の新しい光 _Konoha no Atarashī Hikari)_

Shikamaru still has Naruto under his genjutsu, but will it be enough to give him back his will to fight again? Meanwhile, Sasuke's trial is reaching its climax! Will the power of the Uchiha finally be put to rest?


	37. Chapter 30: Konoha's New Light

CHAPTER 30

**Konoha's New Light**  
_(_木ノ葉の新しい光 _Konoha no Atarashī Hikari)_

_"Where am I?"_

_Right now, Naruto was drifting. The blond was slowly drifting further and further into the eternal darkness. Realizing this, the blond was looking around desperately for an exit. There wasn't any and he tried to free himself from it by clasping his hands together and shouting 'release'. It didn't work. Naruto had tried it again multiple times and it still didn't work._

_"I put you under a genjutsu, Naruto." A voice answered and Naruto immediately recognized that it had belonged to the shadow genius, Shikamaru._

_"What?! Are you fucking kidding me?! Shikamaru, undo this jutsu right now!" Naruto demanded to no one in particular. Shouting was not gonna help him at this point and especially not in a genjutsu._

_"I cannot do that. Once this jutsu has been activated, it becomes unbreakable. The only way to stop it is if you understand what you need to do. Realization is the key to undoing this jutsu." spoke the genius' voice._

_Naruto knew the shadow user better than this. In his mind, he kept thinking why was Shikamaru doing this to him. He would never go to such extreme lengths for him or anyone for that matter. He tries to avoid using such methods on people. Then it hit him. This genjutsu that he was in had sealed away all his chakra and he was unable to get access to it. "Shikamaru, this isn't funny! Let me outta here!"_

_Before Naruto could protest any further, multiple thick ropes of dark thread had wrapped themselves around the blond. Naruto had tried to free himself from the seemingly tight ropes, but they pulled the blond down further into the infinite darkness, devouring him piece by piece until he was eventually swallowed up whole..._

**XxX**

While performing the technique, Kei was envisioning what he was seeing throughout the mind and the chakra network of Naruto. It was so intense that his mind was going to the point to where he couldn't process what his own thoughts were. He had to stop. This was becoming too much for him. "Whoa..."

"What is it, Kei-san?" Miyuki asked.

"It's Naruto-sama's chakra. It's stagnant and still...almost as if he's in a comatose state..." Kei analyzed. He could feel the perspiration rolling down his face from his forehead from concentrating too hard.

"Comatose?!" Nariko blurted out a bit too loudly, scaring away the small birds that were scattered around the roof of the hospital.

"But that's not it. His chakra is also greatly disturbed."

"Disturbed...? He's under a genjutsu." Sarina guessed after figuring it out what the cause of Naruto's semi-incapacitated state.

"Yes. Apparently by Shikamaru-sama." Kei concluded.

"What?! For what reason?! What is Ponytail up to at a time like this?!" Nariko asked in anger.

"I don't know, but I hope it helps the situation that we are in right now." Kei wasn't exactly sure what kind of genjutsu that Naruto was under, but whatever it was, it must be pretty powerful for Shikamaru to use it to such a high level of intensity.

"What about Father? What's going on with him?" Miyuki inquired.

"Not good. I sensed something from him that I thought I would never feel from him." Kei explained as he release the technique.

"And what is that?" Sarina questioned, anticipating her brother's answered while she placed her hands on her hips.

"Tension. Pressure. Suffocation. Fear. Right now, it's nerve wrecking and the violence erupting from everyone in the Precinct House is only amplifying what Sasuke-sama is really feeling..." Kei stated as he took his glasses off and placed them next to him on the concrete surface. All of this concentration was giving him a serious headache and he rubbed the bridge of his nose as proof of that.

_'Father...' _Nariko couldn't process the fact that Sasuke was possibly feeling those kind of emotions. They didn't fit him at all and it made Nariko feel even more distress. She couldn't even imagine that her Father, one of the strongest shinobi in history would succumb to such extreme psychological torture. For him to feel like that, he really was under pressure.

"I'm gonna try and concentrate more on Sasuke-sama. Naruto-sama is with Shikamaru-sama, so he's in excellent hands. This jutsu does consumes a lot of my chakra and puts a serious strain on my body." Kei admitted that he was getting tired. Trying to focus on a single focal point and having your chakra fixed in that position for a long period of time is extremely difficult. Even advanced sensors had trouble trying to sustain this high level of a technique.

"But you can't give up! You have to keep going!" Nariko yelled, hoping that Kei wouldn't stop using his jutsu that helped them keep up with the current happenings.

"Don't push him so hard, Nariko! You're not the one who has to do this!" Sarina defended, looking at the tomboyish girl slightly agitated. Nariko was being unreasonable and she was not gonna have her run all over her older brother with her ridiculous orders.

"When that tragedy occurred, they stepped into battle, they put their lives on the line and they gave the next generation a chance to live..." Kei simply smiled in gratitude and he formed the seals in order to perform the jutsu again. "For those two...the ones who sacrifice themselves in order to give us peace...I'm willing to push myself to the limit for them..."

Kei was one of the sharpest minds in their generation and Miyuki was glad that he was here to help them out on this mission. After hearing him say that he wouldn't give up, it gave the girls a little bit more hope. "Thank you, Kei-san." The blonde said with a sincere smile.

**XxX**

_When Naruto had stopped bothering to struggle in this genjutsu, he somewhat relaxed. He couldn't relax fully anyway, because he had no idea what the was gonna happen inside this genjutsu. After a while of slow free falling, Naruto had landed on his feet in the empty space, looking around for any kind of clue to help him out. Looking ahead, Naruto had something that was all too familiar to him._

_Oh his left was a red swirl and on his right was a red and white fan. "The Uzumaki and the Uchiha symbols..." The moment he said that, the two symbols started to slowly move towards one another. "The symbols...are becoming one...?" Naruto asked himself when they finally came together and combined._

_Behind the symbol, two figures had faded in and they had their backs turn. They both had the combined symbols of the Uchiha and Uzumaki clan sewed on the back of their clothes._

_"Nariko? And..."_

_**"Have you met the young girl that Taka was traveling with yet? When you see her, try not to catch a heart attack..."**_

_"Miyuki..." Naruto murmured after remembering Sasuke's words from the night before. Before he had time to think some more about it, everything around him had shattered like glass..._

_"Shikamaru, the joke is OVER! Undo the-"_

_"Naruto." A demonic voice spoke to him and a pair of red pupiless eyes opened before him and Naruto was hit with an immense wave a chakra. The blond had never felt chakra so immense since Kurama's chakra. The power that he was feeling from this being was absolutely terrifying. It had took all of his will power to keep himself standing up._

_"This...is what will happen if you continue to mourn in your own self pity. Not only will you lose him..." The voice boomed with such demonic fervor that nearly knocked Naruto back with its explosive chakra. "...but you will lose the very thing that brings you hope in your future..."_

_Lightning had struck and Naruto had witnessed a graphic and horrifying sight. There they were...the three people that the blond had cared deeply for. Sasuke's body was tied up with black thorns and he was leaning forward with scarlet blood dripping from his body. Nariko's body was punctured on a huge spike, her lifeless form was profusely covered with her crimson body liquid. Miyuki was laying on jagged rocks, her opened light blue eyes was now stagnant and dead as her flesh was pierced from the rocks under her body._

_"Nariko...Miyuki..." Naruto couldn't believe what he was seeing. Corpses. Sasuke, Nariko, and Miyuki's corpses...his future...was gonna feel like that._

_"What will you do, Naruto?" The horrid demonic voice whispered to Naruto and it made the blond think. Everything would be literally be over and everything that he believed in would die. His spirit, dreams, life, his hope, everything if this happened. This **CANNOT** happen._

_**XxX**_

Naruto's eyes widen harshly from the terrible vision as he jolted away from the shadow user in fear, almost knocking the chair and himself down on the hardwood floor. His pulse was racing at an incredible speed and his face was covered with a sleek sheen of perspiration. And to top it all off, his body was slightly trembling. _'Wow...I can't believe it. Naruto broke out of the genjutsu a lot faster than I thought he would...'_

"Sasuke...Shikamaru..." Naruto muttered. Shikamaru barely understood him, because the blond could barely think straight right now. Those horrible, horrible visions were still haunting his mind.

_'His mind is in a mess. I'm truly sorry about that, Naruto...' _Shikamaru had helped Naruto up and he was able to sit him down in the chair. "I'm gonna go outside and let you calm down. Hopefully, you'll be all right by the time I come back in."

Gently closing the door behind, Shikamaru walked over to the balcony on the other side of Naruto's apartment and leaned against the metal bars. The genius sighed from having to use that technique on a comrade, but the way that Naruto was acting left him no choice, but to forcefully break his depression. Shikamaru had always let people seclude themselves and heal at their own pace, but in this particular case...he couldn't let it ride.

Shikamaru had looked up at the sky and he noticed how the cloud had a tinge of gray in them. He grimace from the irony of this situation. "As much as I enjoy the clouds, a clear blue sky would be a nice change of pace right about now. I just hope I'm doing the right thing. I don't like resorting to such...troublesome methods..."

"Shikamaru?" A voiced called out to him. The shadow user had turned his head to the left and he noticed that it was the familiar kunoichi, Sakura. She was in her off duty clothes and she was carrying a bag that looked pretty heavy.

"Sakura...what brings you here?" Shikamaru questioned.

"I just came to check up on Naruto. His depression has been worrying me over the past week. How is he doing?" In the bag, it was full of instant ramen and other small treats for him to enjoy. She hoped that this would cheer him up.

In the corner of his eye, Shikamaru had saw a blur of orange vanishing out of his sight and he simply smirked. "Sakura, I don't think we have to worry about Naruto anymore."

"Huh? What makes you say that?" The medic nin asked somewhat confused.

"Let's just say...during these days filled with dark clouds, he has finally found his way out through his own silver lining..." Shikamaru had turned to Naruto's opened door after he had finished his statement.

Not understanding what he was saying, Sakura had took it upon herself and went to see if Naruto was still in his apartment. To her surprise, the blond was nowhere in sight. He had left his hitai-ite on the small table that he eats from and the window was left opened. His room was completely spotless, which was a rare sight for Sakura to see his apartment so clean.

"Naruto...you didn't..." Sakura spoke silently as she was once again marveled by this will and determination. The pinkette had placed the bag on the table and she set something next to it.

_'Naruto, you're the only source of light that hasn't fade away in Sasuke's heart. Not just his...but in our hearts as well. You give everyone hope with your pure shinobi spirit and lead us out of the darkest hours with your radiant light. A light that still glimmers even in the most immeasurable amount of darkness. I expect you to do it. I expect you to make a miracle happen, Naruto...as Konoha's New Light...' _Shikamaru had looked towards the direction of the Precinct House. He knew if Naruto was going to make it there in time, he was gonna have to sprint the entire way there...

**XxX**

In the Precinct House, the two witnesses from Kumogakure were now speaking about their past encounter experience with Sasuke Uchiha "While me and my partner was scouting Unraikyo, we had come across Sasuke Uchiha and his teammates. He asked for information concerning Lord Killer Bee." The man that was speaking was a member of the Yotsuki clan. He has dark eyes, brown hair and a very well defined jaw line. He wore the standard attire of the Kumogakure shinobi, including a forehead protector, flak jacket and shin guards.

"When we wouldn't obey his demands, he used his Mangekyo Sharingan and forced me to talk. After the fight had took place, Killer Bee...was nowhere to be found. So far...we had no luck in finding him..." J spoke. J is a bald man with a flak jacket with one strap over one shoulder, and a black shirt underneath. He also wears sports sunglasses and a forehead protector with a white cloth.

Koharu sighed. "It is clearly obvious where this young man is headed. He betrayed his friends, he betrayed his home, and now he's lost his only chance to redeem himself. If he continues down this road, who knows what will happen. Because of what he has done, a war could possibly break out between the Leaf and the Cloud. There's absolutely no way that we can let this boy continue to live."

_'You have me bound to this chair, blindfolded, and I can't use any of my techniques. There isn't anything else you could possibly do to me at this point.' _Sasuke thought.

"Sasuke Uchiha, you and your predecessors have devastated the world with your Curse of Hatred, and as the sole survivor of the clan, you will pay the ultimate price!" Homura said and the whispers in the courthouse had erupted once again.

**XxX**

Meanwhile at the main Hyuga branch's house, Team Gai and Team Kurenai were outside in the back of the house in the garden, listening to Sasuke's trial by radio. Neji was standing with his arms crossed, his eyebrows were slightly furrowed from everything that was happening. Tenten was leaning her body against one of the wooden pillars, listening from not to far. Rock Lee was kneeling right in front of the radio with a concerned expression. Hinata was sitting next to Kiba while he was petting Akamaru and Shino was standing next to Rock Lee.

"Sasuke-kun..." Hinata said in worry, concerned about the well being of the former comrade. Even though the two of them had never spoken to one another, she couldn't believe that a former ally from the village was about to be prosecuted. _'Naruto-kun, I'm sorry...'_

"Man, this is downright depressing. Turn the damn radio off." Kiba spat, exasperated by the turn of events.

"Kiba, there's no need to be so insensitive!" Tenten yelled, getting upset by Kiba's behavior. She knew Kiba never really liked the guy, but he didn't have to be so abrasive about this situation.

"Tenten is right, Kiba-kun! Where's that youthful spirit?" Lee spoke with an unusual amount of passion, which was not needed right now. This was not the right moment for his happy-go-lucky attitude.

"No amount of that craptastic spirit is gonna help him now! We did the best we could! I don't see the point of getting upset over something we have no control over!" Kiba answered. This was irritating him immensely. Everything and everyone around him was either, upset, sad, or just sulky for no reason. To Kiba, Sasuke was someone he was particularly fond of. Despite how he felt, he didn't want the guy to die.

"I disagree, Kiba. When this is over, Naruto and Sakura...they won't be okay. Why? Because those two won't be able to stomach what's about to happen to their teammate." Shino could somewhat understand how Naruto was feeling and how he would go so far for his friends. If he was in the same shoes as Naruto, he really wouldn't know what to do if that was happening with either Kiba or Hinata.

"We can only hope that Shikamaru can do something about this. All we can do is wait." Neji assumed. At least, that's what he thought. He wasn't entirely sure himself, because things had gotten so crazy over the past few months.

"Neji-niisan..." Hinata murmured in distress.

"I hope everything will turn out for the best..." Tenten stated.

"So do I..." Shino concurred in agreement. After settling down, both teams continued to listen at the radio in order to hear the final verdict of the trial.

**XxX**

Kei's red eyes had widen slightly from sensing the chakra of a familiar person suddenly shot up. He knew immediately who it was. "Oh, no. The Daimyō is about to give the verdict."

"What?! So soon?!" Sarina asked in surprise. She had been keeping track of time for this trial. It had only been at least a hour and forty-five minutes. Trials usually last longer than that. Something was seriously off about how this trial was being handled.

"Well?!" Nariko asked breaking the silence.

The male sensor nin just turned his head away from them in bereavement.

"Oh, God..." Miyuki whispered, letting the only bit of hope she had be completely shattered as despair filled her heart. "This can't be happening..."

Trying to secrete any tears from escaping her onyx eyes was almost impossible for Nariko, because she was a emotional person. Especially when it came down to her Father. She adored him and supported him no matter what. To hear that her efforts of trying to save his life have been wasted...was disappointing. Not able to take the news that she was hearing, Nariko had slump down to the ground and she started sobbing silently.

"Nariko..." Sarina said, looking at her with sadness. The redhead had came to where Nariko was and hugged her from behind. She hated seeing the strongest girl she's ever met in pain. Pain didn't suit her.

"I'm sorry, you two..." Kei apologized. He only wished he could do more for them than just say he was sorry. This was unacceptable to him and he continued to use his jutsu, regardless of the fact that he already knew what was about to happen next. _'Naruto-sama, please hurry and get there...!'_

**XxX**

_'Itachi, this is how it ends for me. The end of...a proud clan...'_

"The prosecutors and myself have concluded in the case of Sasuke Uchiha vs the Shinobi Nations, we find the defendant-"

"Stop!" A raspy voice yelled from outside. "Stop this trial!"

Kakashi and Yamato's eyes widen slightly from recognizing who it belonged to. Tsunade and the Fire Nation officials had stopped what they were doing as well as the Daimyō, Homura, and Koharu had turned to the door. Sasuke had stiffened also from hearing that voice. In a reflex, he lifted up his head and even though he couldn't see anything, Sasuke looked in the direction of the door in the Precinct House.

A moment later, the wooden double doors were forced opened abruptly with a thunderous boom and everyone in the room had turned around and saw a male silhouette standing in the doorway. The bright light from outside was obscuring his true form, but the only thing that was visible was the spikes that was visible on his head. Quietly, the person stepped into the room and he had revealed himself to be...

"I, Naruto Uzumaki..." the blond stated as he walked into the room. "...will speak on Sasuke Uchiha's behalf!"

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:

**Naruto's Declaration**  
_(_ナルトの宣言 _Naruto no Sengen)_

Naruto interrupts the trial and puts his shinobi honor on the line! What will happen when he speaks on Sasuke's behalf on the decisions that he made in the past?!


	38. Chapter 31: Naruto's Declaration

CHAPTER 31

**Naruto's Declaration**  
_(_ナルトの宣言 _Naruto no Sengen)_

Everyone in the Precinct House whispered to one another as the blond shinobi looked directly at Sasuke and the shape that he was in. Icy blue eyes narrowed at Koharu and Homura, the two people that was given the raven a hard time. Determined to put an end to this, Naruto started to take slow steps towards the front of the room. Kakashi and Yamato were watching their student make his way to the bench where the Daimyō was currently residing.

_'Naruto...'_Kakashi was worried about what would happen to Naruto for interrupting the trial. He was gonna pay the price for his actions, but at this point, he knew the blond didn't care about the punishment. The only thing he cared about at this moment was Sasuke and his safety.

"Naruto, why are you here?!" Homura questioned in anger, but the blond simply ignored the elder's question and his shallow footsteps echoed in the room as he got closer to the bench.

_'He's not listening...'_Tsunade pointed out while watching him. She knew that no amount of words were not going to deter the blond from what he was about to do. There was no mistaking that. Tsunade only wished that she would save him from suffering serious consequences for his actions.

Naruto had to turn this matter around and it had to be done fairly. Even with the talking that he and Shikamaru did week ago, he knew deep within his heart...that the elders wouldn't give him a fair trial, but that was all about to change. As he reached the front of the bench, Naruto paused and the blond looked up at the man with a solemn expression. His eyes were filled with certitude and he took a deep breath and spoke to him. "Daimyō, with all due respect, I do apologize for disturbing this trial. If you don't mind, I would to speak on Sasuke Uchiha's behalf."

The room had once again had erupted with whispers. Some were hostile about the idea and some were confused as to why the blond would go out of his way just to help a 'traitor' to the village. The Fire Country officials were also baffled by Naruto's request as they already knew that nothing would be able to save Sasuke. They had too much evidence on him from the shinobi witnesses of Kumogakure.

Even more so, everyone was noticing that the Daimyō was deeply contemplating Naruto's proposal. "Well, since you are being so adamant with your request, I suppose that I could give you a few minutes to speak on his behalf to everyone here. There is something you must remember. You have to be able to convince everyone here why he shouldn't be executed. You have five minutes at the most to give your statement and I will decide his fate then."

Naruto had gave a tiny smile to him and he grinned happily in gratitude. "Thank you so much, sir."

"Lord Daimyō, I object to that proposal." Homura stated out loud, which made Naruto and the Daimyō turned their attention to the elder man. "This young man should not even be allowed in the Precinct House. A week ago, it was clearly stated that all of the young shinobi of his generation had been barred from intervening with this trial. He has clearly broke the decree for being here today and he should be punished for his actions."

_'Damn you, you old buzzard...!'_The blond had grounded his teeth in aggravation. Naruto had never been a person to downright disrespect an elder, but Homura was seriously pushing his buttons and driving him in that direction. He had to remain calm and not do anything that would ruin his final chance to pull Sasuke from the brink of death.

"And I've already made my decision in letting him speak, so why don't you and Koharu have a seat?" The Daimyō said in a cool manner, which was not like him at all. If anyone knew the Fire Daimyō, he is never precise with his decisions. "I'm sure that this young man will have a lot to say on behalf of his friend."

Not being to change the Daimyō's mind for the moment, Homura and Koharu had went to their seats next to the Fire Country officials and sat down. Despite the turn of events, they refused to show how angry they were for Naruto to involve himself into this matter.

"All right, Naruto, you may go ahead and give your statement." The Daimyō spoke and the blond nodded in agreement.

Tsunade had folded her hands and placed them under her chin. _'This has never happened before. The Daimyō almost never break procedures like this. His ability to change people's perception is amazing. But Naruto, you only get one more shot at this. Please make it count.'_

The blond had turned around as he faced everyone in the Precinct House. He figured that trying to conjure up every detail about Sasuke and shrink into five minutes would be hard, but that wouldn't stop him and he would get through this...no matter long it took.

**XxX**

"N-Naruto?!" A female blonde exclaimed in shock and dropped the watering canteen that she was using to water the magnolias that she was currently growing.

Ino was managing the flower shop while her parents were at the trial hearing and she also listening to the case on the radio that she had sitting on the counter. It was just announced that Naruto had disturbed the court case. What was Naruto doing there?

"What's the matter, Ino?" A male voice asked as he came in from the back of the shop. His spiky brown hair had reached his waist, small black eyes, red swirl marks on his cheeks, and he has a much more robust physique than most other ninja. It was Ino's teammate and friend, Chōji Akimichi. He was wearing his off duties clothes and was carrying two big white bags on his shoulders. Ino had asked him could he possibly help her out with some of the store chores and he happily agreed.

"Chōji, Naruto's at the Precinct House!" Ino told him.

"He is?!" Quickly setting down the heavy bags of potting soil, Chōji went over to listen to the radio and after hearing what the announcer had said, he had the same look as she did: a look of shock and concern and the two of asked themselves why was he there in the first place? The chores would have to wait and they decided to listen to the rest of the trial hearing...

**XxX**

"That damn idiot...is actually there?!" Kiba asked after listening to the radio. His eyes were as huge as saucers, because he couldn't believe that Naruto would actually go this far and break the decree. Then again, this was Naruto they were talking about.

At the main Hyuga branch's house, Team Gai and Team Kurenai were still keeping up with the events of the trial, but everyone was bit surprised by Naruto's appearance at the Precinct House.

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata smiled happily as continued to listen to the radio.

"This doesn't surprise me at all. As if Naruto would take something like that sitting down." Neji said.

"Naruto is truly something else." Tenten concurred.

"His power of youth had guided him to that courthouse to save a formal comrade!" Lee jumped in with a little too much excitement. "Naruto-kun is burning his life passionately for Sasuke-kun's life!"

Shino was being quiet, but he had to agree with Lee. Naruto was truly a shinobi of his word when it came down to his comrades. Why? Because that was his ninja way and he lived by his words. Everyone there continued to listen to what was about to happen next...

**XxX**

On the roof of Konoha Hospital, Kei was concentrating his chakra and he suddenly smiled from sensing a familiar chakra that was in the courthouse.

"Naruto-sama made it. He's there at the Precinct House!" The chakra expert said with mirth and this made the girls stop what they're and looked at him hopefully.

"Are you serious?!" Sarina asked with excitement as she wiped away Nariko's earlier tears and Kei only nodded as his response.

This made Nariko and Miyuki expressed their happiness by bumping their fists together and grinned at one another. "All right, Dad!" they both said with excitement.

"Now all we gotta do is wait and see what happens." Now that he knew that Naruto was there, Kei was not about to give up and continued to give his best in using his jutsu. Things were slowly turning around for the better and that was a good thing for them...

**XxX**

In the Precinct House, everyone was waiting for Naruto to see what he was going to say. The blond was still gathering up his thoughts, but it wouldn't be long before he gave his statement. Kakashi was concerned about what Naruto would say. He only hoped that Naruto would not accidentally mention the Uchiha massacre or the truth behind it. That does **not **need to be revealed to everyone here. It would only cause more problems.

Naruto had kept them waiting long enough. It was time to get this over with. "Let me ask all of you a serious question. How would you feel knowing that everything that you lived for...everything you fought for...everything that you believed in...was a lie?" The blond questioned, which made all the seated shinobi looked at one another with confusion and murmured their opinions.

Yamato was a little nervous from all of this and the blond haven't even got started yet. That statement alone had took the wood user by surprise. _'Naruto, where are you going with this...?'_

"None of you can really answer that question, can you? Well, this is what Sasuke's life was like. He only lived in a lie, because he thought it was the truth. Nothing more. Nothing less." Naruto explained and Sasuke had suddenly grown impliable from what Naruto had just said. Nonetheless, he couldn't really do anything about it, so he just sat there and let Naruto talk.

"When I first met Sasuke, I thought he was the biggest jerk in the entire village. He was cruel and he belittled me when I was growing up, but hard reality came crashing down on him. I'm pretty sure you all know what I'm talking about, but let's not get into that. Ever since I known him, he always wanted revenge and wanted to make peace by walking down the path of darkness. Why? Because he thought it was the only path he could take and he deemed it the right path."

Koharu and Homura was listening to the statement, but they deemed it hopeless for the blond to persuade them in changing their decision. No amount of words was going to change their minds.

"As he grew older, I realized that the path that Sasuke chose...was the wrong path and I made a promise to myself that I would save him from going down that road. As his best friend, I'm doing everything in my power to make sure that a former comrade doesn't get his life taken away. I'm not asking you to forgive him for his actions, but I'm asking you to understand why he did the things he did. Most of you, if not all of you, want the death of my best friend. But who are we to say who deserves to live or die? We have no right to decide one's life and fate." Naruto said as he clutched the front of his jacket. "The life that Sasuke lived...he had no choice but to carry out on what he thought was right. So I ask all of you. If you were in his place or even understood a smidget of his pain, wouldn't you have done the same thing that he did? Even if it meant to find peace?" The blond questioned, waiting for someone to respond.

This time, no one answered or even bothered to make a sound.

"Well, that's what he did. Sasuke took path that he thought it could lead to peace, but his way was a misconception of hurt and destruction. He couldn't see that his right...was wrong. In order to redeem his wrong doings, Sasuke wants to kill himself and seal himself away in the after life. He believes that he doesn't deserve a second chance to fix his mistakes." Naruto stated.

Kakashi and Yamato exchanged glances at one another before bringing their attention back to Naruto.

"Now as I leave you all with my final thought, let me say one more thing. Everyone...and I mean everyone deserves a second chance. No matter how far they have fallen or how much their spirit has been corrupted, they still deserves another chance. If you have people who love you and care about you enough to fight for you, then you are already one step closer...at turning over a new leaf..." Naruto finished.

The entire room was silent from Naruto's short yet powerful declaration. Kakashi and Yamato had no idea...that the blond could be so profound with words. Homura and Koharu had remained quiet during the whole thing and their ideals about having Sasuke executed had not wavered. Tsunade and the Fire Country officials were now writing down their thoughts on the scrolls that were on their bench.

Naruto had turned around and faced the man behind the bench. "I'm finished, Lord Daimyō."

"Very well, Naruto Uzumaki." The man spoke and it had gotten everyone's attention. "Now, we will have a one hour recess to give Tsunade and the other officials a chance to deliberate on their final thoughts. Afterwards, I will give the final verdict. Court adjourned."

With that notion, Naruto sighed a breath of relief as everyone else had started to leave the room. Naruto had looked at Sasuke, who was now being escorted out by the ANBU. _'Don't worry, Sasuke. I'm not gonna let you die...'_

"Naruto." Kakashi called out to him and the blond turned to see him and Yamato standing together. "Are you okay?"

"Kakashi-sensei, Yamato-taichou..." Naruto had looked away from them for a moment. For an instant, he was assaulted with the nightmarish images from earlier and he grasped his head from seeing them again. The vision that kept playing over and over again in his head would have be the one of Sasuke covered in thorns and his own blood. Naruto had shook his thoughts away and showed a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine..."

"Let's go outside, Naruto. I'm sure all of us could use some fresh air after being stuck in here for so long." Kakashi was speaking more for himself at the moment, but it would be good for Naruto to not stay in the Precinct House and clear his head for a few minutes.

After all, he had just hit everyone with one of the strongest statements to ever be heard in a court case. Kakashi knew that Naruto had poured his heart out to everyone in the Precinct House, but he also wondered would it be enough to change the minds of the officials. Not dwelling on it anymore, the three shinobi were now walking towards the exit where they could just sit down and relax for the remaining minutes that they had left within the hour...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:

**Final Verdict**  
_(_最終評決 _Saishū Hyōketsu)_

After everything that's happen, it all comes down to this. The trial reaches its end! What will be the outcome?! And what lies ahead for Naruto and Sasuke?!


	39. Chapter 32: Final Verdict

CHAPTER 32

**Final Verdict**  
_(_最終評決 _Saishū Hyōketsu)_

Outside of the Precinct House, Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato were sitting outside on the benches trying to enjoy some lunch. The blond was eating some pork ramen that the wood user had bought for him. Yamato was hoping that would calm the blond down, but that made him even more uneasy. Kakashi had his back turned while he was eating a piece of salt-broiled saury. He still didn't want Naruto or Yamato to see him without his mask and the both of them thought it was ridiculous. Yamato was eating some fresh walnuts with some light powdered sugar. Man, he loved that stuff.

Naruto had continued to eat his meal in silence. He didn't feel like chatting at the moment and the horrible visions had haunted him once again, making him closed his eyes and winced in pain. _'Sasuke...'_

Blood. Thorns. Corpses. Sasuke's corpse. Nariko and Miyuki's corpses. _'These visions...they won't go away...'_ Naruto had cupped his head with his hands and began to contemplate on what the visions really meant. The only thing he really knew was that those images were horrible and terrifying. And the demonic voice in his visions...it was so satanic and drenched with hatred and malice. Naruto had never seen anything like that in his life and it severely frightened him. That vision was something that Naruto never wants to see nor does he never want that to happen.

"Naruto." Kakashi called out to him after finishing his food and readjusting his mask back on his face. "What are you thinking about over there?"

When the blond heard his sensei, Naruto had lowered his head in order to hide his depressed blue eyes. "Kakashi-sensei, Yamato-taichou, have any of you fought this hard to save a comrade's life?" The blond questioned as he drunk the last of the ramen broth before putting it in the trash right next to him. Kakashi and Yamato had looked at Naruto with a perplexed expression. "I know it's an uncomfortable question and everything, but I want to know. Have you ever went so far for a comrade?"

Kakashi and Yamato had exchanged looks and contemplated on a time where they have been in a similar situation. Yamato has never been in that situation before on account of he was raised in the life of the ANBU. On the other hand, the copy nin had been in that situation, but he did not feel comfortable enough to tell Naruto about it. In fact, none of his students had knew the full extent of how Kakashi had lost Obito during the war. Not dwelling on it, Kakashi had sighed and sat next to him.

"Well, it's a difficult story for me, Naruto." The copy nin had started. "...but I'll be more than happy to tell you about it."

Naruto was indeed surprised that Kakashi was openly going to tell him one of his life experiences. Normally, him or Sakura would have to try to pry things out of him. The blond had motioned the jonin to start telling the story.

"It was during the Third Shinobi World War where my teammate, Obito Uchiha had saved my life by throwing me out of the way of a falling boulder. In the sad turn of events, it landed on him, crushing the entire right side of his body."

Naruto's blue eyes had widen from hearing that. His teammate had sacrificed himself to assure that harm wouldn't come his sensei's way. That notion alone made Naruto believe that the two were very similar to one another.

"I couldn't leave him like that, so I tried moving the boulder, which was far too heavy to move on my own. Seeing that Obito was about to die, my conscience got the best of me and I began to cry. At that moment, I didn't deem myself worthy to lead or to even be a ninja. During his final moments, he told me that I was a wonderful shinobi and he gave his left eye with the Sharingan in order to replace the one I had lost when I saved him from certain death. Our other teammate, Rin Nohara had used her medical ninjutsu to transplant Obito's eye into mine in order for me to live on..." Kakashi concluded.

"That's how you got the Sharingan?" Naruto questioned. "...he gave it to you before he died...?"

Naruto had analyzed the story that he was told. Even though he knew it wasn't the whole story, he wasn't going to do any unnecessary probing to get more out of his teacher. The blond had realized that himself, Sasuke, and Sakura were very similar to Kakashi's old teammates. Even down to some of their personality traits and abilities.

"He told me to 'Let me be your eyes...so I can see the future for you'. His words meant a lot to me and some days, I feel like Obito...is not really gone and he's still out there somewhere. Perhaps it's just my conscience that can't really let go of the fact that I will never see Obito or Rin again."

"Senpai, I never knew that story." Yamato said astounded by how some of the questions that was tucked away in his mind about his white-haired senior were finally answered. Then again, Kakashi was one to keep his personal life experiences to himself or down to a bare minimum.

"Kakashi-sensei, you mean..." Naruto started as he tried to find the words to complete his question. "...Obito was the one who changed your entire perception on how to live the shinobi life?"

"That's right. If that incident on that mission didn't happen, then I probably would have carried the same attitude I had back then with me today and who knows where you might have headed. I am glad that I was able to change and lead a team that I could be proud of and have the courage to fight for what they believe it. I couldn't have asked for anything better." Kakashi stated and this caused the blond to faintly smile from the compliment. Kakashi was proud of him and he was acknowledged his will power as well.

The blond couldn't believe that his teacher had went through and bared so much...undeniable pain and suffering. He never would have known that the way he carried on with careless smile and carefree attitude everyday. There was still so much that he didn't know about him.

"Why do you think I haven't made any effort in trying to talk you out of saving Sasuke? Because I understand that pain of losing someone who becomes something precious to you. Naruto, you only get so many chances to do the right thing and come out on top and being happy. When the opportunity presents itself, you have to take that chance. No matter what the circumstances are..." Kakashi answered as he smiled behind his mask.

Naruto had showed a faint smile to his sensei as the copy ninja reveled in his own thoughts. _'But your feelings for Sasuke...go far beyond what anyone can even begin to understand...'_

On the side of the Precinct House, there was an opening and one of the officials came walking towards them. This caught the attention of the three shinobi. "I'm sorry to interrupt you gentleman, but it's time to resume the trial."

After hearing that, Naruto had stood up and his expression had changed back to being more focused and determined. His blue eyes narrowed slightly with determination as he and his teachers had entered the house to continue the trial.

"For the past two and a half hours, this trial has been a very long and exasperating process. We thank you all for your patience and understanding. Without further ado, Tsunade and the Fire Country Officials had finally reached their verdict and I will announce it now." The Daimyō stated. From the right, one of the officials had handed him medium sized paper that was folded in half.

This was it. The final moment that everyone's been waiting for and the blond was more than confident that he had changed the mind of all the officials. The Daimyō had cleared his throat to get everyone's attention and he started to speak again. "In the case of Sasuke Uchiha vs the Shinobi Nations, Tsunade and the Fire Country Officials find the defendant..."

Everyone in the room had leaned forward slightly, anticipating the answer of the verdict. Naruto had clenched his fist closed from being anxious and he had tensed up from the atmosphere in the room. His blue eyes flickered with uncertainty and he swallowed hard from feeling the intense pressure.

"...guilty of all charges." The Daimyō finished. No one had moved. The courtroom was completely soundless. The second the Daimyō announced that judicial decision, Naruto became despondent and his confidence was obliterated...

**XxX**

At the Konoha Hospital, Sai was sitting by the window, drawing a picture in his sketchbook.. He was in his off duty clothes that consisted of a dark gray, long-sleeve shirt with a high collar, matching pants, and his regular shinobi sandals. About a half hour ago, Sai had became fascinated by a flower that was sitting in a teal vase on a small table, growing loosely on a twig. It was dark pink in color and it was adorned with five beautiful petals. The artist had never seen such a flower in the village before and he thought its bright colors and unique fragrance was simply stunning.

As an artist, he couldn't pass up on such beauty and he had to draw it in his sketch collection. He would have to ask Sakura or Ino what kind of flower it was whenever he got the chance.

Meanwhile, Sakura had returned from dropping off the goodies that she bought for Naruto at his house. She sighed dejectedly from him being so reckless and going off to the Precinct House. She was now asking herself just how far was Naruto was willing to go for Sasuke's sake. She knows that he is the only one who could save him, but it won't do Sasuke or him any good if something were to happen and cause Naruto to serve time in prison for contempt to court.

Sakura felt that there was no need for her to worry about something that she had no control over and she decided to check up on Nariko and Miyuki to see how they were doing. On her way there, she noticed the artist of her team was drawing fluently in his sketchbook.

"Sai?" Sakura said quite surprised, tilting her head to the side from seeing the artist here at the hospital. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I came to see you and to see how you were holding up during this trial." Sai explained as he stopped drawing and put his sketchbook away in his artist bag. "What are you up to?"

The medic nin had admired Sai for trying to make small talk with her. If anything, Sai had came a long way from how he used to be when she first met him. She was very happy that he was trying to better understand his emotions and it made her feel even better that he showing genuine concern towards her well being as well as Naruto's.

"I see that you're quite taken with that Japanese Quince over there." Sakura took a glimpse at the flower, which caused the artist's eyes to gaze at her with questioning eyes.

"You know what it is?" Sai asked in curiosity.

"That's right. The _**Chaenomeles Japonica**_ or the Japanese Quince is a thorny shrub that is best known for its colorful spring flowers of red, white, pink, or even multicolored petals. It produces apple-shaped fruit that are a golden-yellow color and contains red-brown seeds. The fruit is edible but harsh and acidic, but you can also make jelly and it gives off a sweet aroma when it's cooked with other fruit. It also means 'temptation' in the language of flowers." Sakura finished and she winked at the artist. She didn't think it would ever come up in conversation, but she secretly thanking Ino for the lessons in floral history and flower arrangement.

"I see. That's interesting to know. Thank you, Sakura." Sai had glanced at the flower once more and he smiled genuinely at the flourishing plant, appreciating its beauty and presence. Well he was happy, because now he knew what kind of flower it was and what it had meant. _' Such a tempting flower indeed...'_

"Are you blushing, Sai?" The medic nin questioned after seeing that Sai's face had a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks. Sakura now had a playful smirk on her face. "What's the reason for that?"

"Uhh, none in particular." He answered slightly baffled. Sai even didn't know why he did it himself. It was a possibility that he basically had showed the wrong emotion. It wouldn't really surprise him since he was still learning how to read the atmosphere for different situations.

On the other hand, Sakura had noticed how Sai looked at the plant. The medic nin thought it was adorable how Sai showed such a calming yet sweet expression towards a flower. Sakura had chuckled from his cute behavior. "Oh, I get it. You have interesting taste, Sai. No doubt about that."

"What do you mean by that?"

"You'll understand it one day. Well, I'm about to go check up on Nariko and Miyuki. Would you like to come with me?" Sakura proposed.

Sai had blinked from the offer. This was the first time that he was asked to do something with any of his teammates without being forcefully pushed or pulled into the situation. Naturally, he wouldn't want to be a hindrance to her and he turned her down. "I wouldn't want to impose while you're trying to do your job."

"Nonsense. You won't get in the way. Besides, I can use the company right now since Ino isn't here with me." With that said, Sakura forcefully grabbed Sai's hand and pulled him along in the direction that she was going.

Sai felt pretty flaccid for not being to have a stronger firmness to tell her 'no'. But there was no room for arguing when it came down to Sakura's temperamental nature. When the pair had arrived at their room, Sakura had knocked twice on the closed door, showing respect to her patients. "Nariko, Miyuki, it's me. Open the door!" She announced, but she didn't receive an answer.

Opening the door, she was greeted with an empty room.

"Wh...where are they?!" Sakura asked, looking around the room frantically. She was gone for only twenty minutes and now she has to find two kunoichi who seemed to slip under her radar. The last thing she needed was to have the hospital in an uproar and there was no way she could report this to her master. She had a serious pet peeve when patients tried to leave the hospital without proper discharge.

_'That's strange. There's no way the girls could of escaped from the hospital knowing that security has gotten air tight around here...'_

"Calm down, Sakura. There's no way they couldn't have left the hospital." Sai had looked around the hallways to see where the two girls had possibly gone to. He had said that, but they were kunoichi and he's pretty sure they could really escaped if they wanted to. It was then that he realized that there was only place that they could of went. "Sakura, perhaps they are getting some fresh air on the rooftop."

"I hope for their sake, that is all what they're doing..." Sakura had left to see if they really were up there, but Sai had grabbed her by the hand this time. The medic nin had turned to him to see what he had wanted and was surprise by what he had told her.

"I'll come with you, Sakura..."

**XxX**

Naruto didn't hear those words. There was no way the blond had heard them. Tsunade had glanced over at Naruto, who was grounding his teeth to the point of hurting them. The raven that was bound to the chair had descended his head down from hearing the verdict. Sasuke had knew it was all over and he also knew there was nothing else that Naruto could do for him. The blond had tried his best to save him from getting the death sentence, but it still wasn't enough. Naruto's determination, hope, and was slowly mutating into something foul. His heartbeat was becoming irregular and pieces of his sanity was slowly slipping away.

_'Naruto, don't...! Not here...!' _Yamato looked at the blond in alarm and he felt that familiar power within him spike. The wood user only hoped that Naruto's anger would not rise and erupt haphazardly, putting everyone in the Precinct House in danger.

"But despite the charges that Sasuke has on him..." The Daimyō stated. "...his execution has been terminated."

That statement alone had everyone looking at the Daimyō with various expressions. Some were confused. Others were angry with the decision, especially Homura and Koharu. But nothing came as close to how both Naruto and Sasuke were feeling at that moment. They felt as if a giant weight was immediately lifted off of their shoulders.

_'Say what...? My execution has been terminated...?!'_ That was the only thing that ran across Sasuke's mind.

"T-Terminated...?" Naruto questioned after coming down from his high of nearly releasing his anger. He was unsure of what just happened. "What do you mean...?"

"It is true that Sasuke Uchiha is proof that when darkness consumes the heart, it can turn one of our greatest allies into our strongest enemies. However, it seems that the officials were overwhelmed by your powerful statement, Naruto Uzumaki. As you had mentioned earlier, everyone messes up and deserves another chance and that was what made the officials change their minds about executing him."

The blond was sure...he was sure that-he looked at the officials and each one of them had a infallible smile that clearly said that the Daimyō was indeed telling the truth. Even Tsunade was looking at him with a mirthful expression, which made it even more real.

Sasuke was gonna live. The raven was truly going to get another chance to start over and live his life - the correct way. "As his punishment, Sasuke Uchiha will be sentenced to four years of probation and one year of chakra imprisonment."

Naruto had finally smiled for the first time in the past week and he couldn't maintain his elation for too long and he indulged himself into cheering out loud in front of everyone in the Precinct House, not caring what anyone thought about it. "**ALL RIGHT! I DID IT!**" Kakashi and Yamato were proud that he was able to turn this bitter hardship in to a sweet victory. The elders were not pleased with the outcome of the trial. To think that Naruto was able to change the Daimyō's mind once it was set on something was quite a feat.

_'That fool...nearly threw all of his sanity and dignity away for my sake...'_ Sasuke smirked from hearing the blond's idiotic cheering. _'...Thank you, Naruto...'_

"But there is one condition."

Naruto paused from his cheering to listen to the Daimyō had to say. "And what would that be, sir?"

"You will be fully responsible for what happens to Sasuke and you will have to monitor and maintain his behavior with high surveillance."

"You're saying...you want me to be his parole officer?" The blond asked slightly confused. Saving Sasuke was the one thing he intended to do, but being his personal officer wasn't something he prepared himself for. In all honesty, Naruto wouldn't really know how to go about doing that.

"Exactly." The Daimyō said. "Can you handle such a task?"

The blond had nodded in agreement. "I give you my word, sir. I promise that he will never leave from out of my sight and I will always stay with him and make sure that he will return to the path of good." Naruto declared. It wouldn't that difficult to do, since he clearly wanted to be near Sasuke more than ever now.

Even with all the experienced shinobi in the room, the majority of them had no idea that Naruto's words had insinuated a double meaning. He would stay true to his promise and hopefully accomplish a whole lot more in the process...and rebuilding his friendship and getting closer with Sasuke would be his number one priority...

**XxX**

Outside of the streets of Konoha, the dimmed clouds had started to recede and the sunlight was beginning to shine its way through the dark clouds. Shikamaru was still at Naruto's house and he was watching how the sky began to change. It wasn't long before the sky was its normal azure blue color and the white clouds had accompanied it to paint the perfect day. Seeing this, Shikamaru had smiled and acknowledged the changes that had occurred.

_'Well done...future king of Konoha...'_

**XxX**

At the flower shop, Ino and Chōji were in high spirits and they were now jumping up and down for joy and celebrating Naruto's victory for overcoming the council. "He did it! He really did it!" The blonde shouted with excitement as she held the robust male by his large hands.

"I know right?! Naruto is amazing!" Chōji had continued to hold her hands, but that was until she had unconsciously hugged him from feeling too much of the melodrama. Ino was beyond happy. Elated would be the correct term that she was feeling and Chōji felt his cheeks growing warm from being hugged by the petite blonde. He wasn't going to stop her in any way, because he might never get the chance to embrace Ino like this ever again...

**XxX**

At the Hyuga household, Neji had smirked from hearing the announcement on the radio. He always knew that Naruto would pull through in a time of crisis and he had proved it once again. Tenten was indeed happy that Naruto had saved his teammate from death. It always amazed her how Naruto's perseverance and will power helped him with just about every situation that he's puts himself into.

"Well, I'll be damned. That idiot did it!" Kiba couldn't believe that Naruto had pulled it off. He would admit that he sometimes doubt the blond when he does things that seems almost hopeless or even suicidal, but he does know that Naruto's would always come out on top.

"Yes! The power of youth conquers all! Naruto-kun burned brilliantly with the flames of passion and saved Sasuke-kun!" Rock Lee was elated as well. Perhaps a little too much seeing that he now had the flames of youth blazing in his eyes.

Hinata had shed a small tear for Naruto as a sign that she had been supporting him in spirit through the entire trial. _'Naruto-kun, I'm so happy for you. Now you can truly be with Sasuke-kun the way that you want to be...'_

**XxX**

After nearly three hours of constantly focusing his chakra, Kei could finally relax and he was satisfied with everything that happened. The chakra expert was indeed impressed with how Naruto overcame the trial. "It's finally over. Naruto-sama beat the council."

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Dad, you rock and you kick ass!" Nariko shouted with happiness.

"Things are starting to look up." Miyuki stated, but knowing full well that they couldn't relax just yet.

"That's true, but I think it's time to take the next step." Sarina suggested. As much as she wanted to savor Naruto's victory, they had other matters to concern themselves with.

"I agree." Kei agreed.

"I don't think I'm ready for them to know just yet..." Miyuki with uncertainty.

"Sis, we can't just keep lying to them!" Nariko told her. She didn't know what was going on with her sister and she noticed that she's been acting strange for the past week. Did something happen and she wasn't aware of it?

"She's right. It's inevitable and I think we've held the truth from them long enough." Kei said, actually agreeing with fiery raven for once.

"I think we can all agree on that." A voice answered from behind them.

The four shinobi had turned around and the worst had finally happened. Their eyes had widen in fear and they knew that were finally caught. There was Sakura standing there with her arms crossed, looking upset and full of animosity. Sai was not pleased with what he heard, either. But his focus had leaned more towards Sarina and Kei. Those two had looked...very familiar to him.

"I think it's time for you guys...to finally start talking." Sakura finally said after a deafening silence.

As much as they tried to avoid the truth coming out earlier then they intended, the secrets were gonna come out sooner or later. There was no turning back and no amount of words was going to get them out of this predicament. The four young shinobi were now trapped between a rock and a hard place...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:

**Emotions Erupt**  
_(_感情が噴出 _Kanjō ga Funshutsu)_

Sakura and Sai had caught Nariko, Miyuki, Sarina, and Kei discussing their plans pertaining to the future. Sakura become demanding and wants answers. Meanwhile, Naruto accompanies the ANBU as they prepare Sasuke for his punishment. The Nine-Tail Beast, Kurama discloses some vague yet terrible news for Naruto...


	40. Chapter 33: Emotions Erupt

CHAPTER 33

**Emotions Erupt**  
_(__感情が噴出 __Kanjō ga Funshutsu)_

At that moment, heartbeats had began to quicken from the smoldering look that was exuding from the perturbed medic nin. Eight pairs of eyes had widen in fear and quivered with uncertainty from the thought of finally being caught in the open. Even more so, the tension in the air was becoming thicker and it was getting uncomfortable for anyone to stay quiet for too long. Who would dare speak within such an atmosphere and caused more damage to be done? It couldn't be helped, but it was pointless to hide from them anymore.

"Oh, no..." Miyuki said and she took a step back from Sakura. She wanted to be safe than sorry since there was no telling how the medic nin would react or what she do at this point.

"Lady Sakura..." Kei spoke coolly and he was trying his hardest not to agitate Sakura any further.

_'Daddy...'_ Sarina couldn't believe that right before her eyes, her Father was right there in front of her. It had been so many years since she seen him alive and it took all her will power not to run up to him and embraced him with all her worth. But that was something she just couldn't do right now and as much as it pained her, the redhead had brushed away her own personal feelings and focused on what was happening now.

After a few more moments, Nariko had broken free from her apprehensive gaze and she gazed into the eyes that belonged to the medic nin and studied her expression. This was the first time in a long time that she had ever seen Sakura this angry and whenever this happened, she meant business. The raven decided not to indulge herself into anymore needless thinking. "Sakura, Sai, how much of that did you guys hear?"

"About all of it." Sakura answered, but her voice was not as polite and stern as everyone was used to.

Miyuki had sensed the irritation that was evident in her voice and this made the blonde even more fearful of her to say the least. She didn't even know how they were going to go about explaining this situation to them and judging by how Sakura was acting, patience was not much of an option. "Sakura, we can explain-"

"I'm sure you can..." Sakura cut in without letting Miyuki get another word in. The medic nin truly was upset. "...and you're going to explain. Right now."

Sai had stepped in and placed a hand on the medic nin's shoulder, making it clear that she was about to overstep some unseen boundaries. "Sakura, I understand how you must be feeling, but this is not the time nor the place to being doing this."

There was truth to what Sai was saying, but they kept it a secret long enough. All of Konoha had been kept in the dark about these events for far too long and it was frustrating not knowing the truth. Not only that, the real reason why these group of young shinobi were here needed to come out. As much as it was nice for someone to be the voice of reason in the conflict, Sai was not going to pull her away from this. "At this point, I don't care anymore, Sai. I need some answers right now."

"Fine. We'll tell you..." Nariko stated somberly, but then her expression had changed and it became more rebellious. "...but not with you acting like that."

"Nariko-san, what happened to what you were saying earlier?" Kei had thought that she wanted to tell them everything, but it was the raven's indecisiveness and unpredictable personality that made it hard for him and the others to keep up with her.

"I know what I said earlier, but I refuse to tell her what she wants to hear right now. Her attitude is telling me that she wants to know these answers for herself. Hence why I'm not telling her." Nariko's eyes had narrowed to the point where she was literally glaring daggers at the medic nin.

Sakura had seen that look once before and it was only on one occasion: when she and Team 7 had reunited with Sasuke back at Orochimaru's hideout in Kusagakure. Those cold, frigid eyes were present once again and they weren't full with the warmth and buoyant that Sakura was familiar with. Malevolence was slowly starting to fill her onyx pools, which was something that Nariko did not want to feel towards anyone.

"Nariko, calm down." Miyuki stated with bereavement, hoping that she would just try to be rational about this. Sadly, this only fueled Nariko to get louder with Sakura.

"No! She's acting like a-" Before Nariko could finish up her sentence, Sarina had ran up behind the raven and placed her hand over mouth. She had to prevent Nariko from saying anything that would possibly push Sakura over the edge and have a serious physical altercation start because of it.

"What Nariko is _**trying**_ to say is..." Sarina glared at Nariko fiercely for almost saying such an crude obscenity to her own Godmother. The redhead can honestly say that Nariko doesn't hold her tongue for anybody and that was really bad in her opinion. "...this is something that is suppose to be explained to everyone, Lady Sakura..."

"Lady...Sakura?" The medic was not use to hearing such a title added to her name and it seemed foreign to her. Sarina and Kei had greeted her with such a formal title and now it was making her wonder what she really was to these group of shinobi.

"I agree. But I don't think we should tell Naruto just yet. He needs more time to relieve his mind from being so stressed out." Sai could deal with some things, but this was something that he couldn't deal with alone. He was still trying to understand how to read the atmosphere and seeing this made him realize that this situation was going to get very ugly if someone didn't neutralize it from spiraling out of control.

"Sai, we can't let this go on any longer. We have to let Tsunade-shishou know what's going on and Naruto..." Sakura descended her head for a moment and thought about Naruto. For the past week, he's been fighting constantly for Sasuke's sake, but he still didn't know the secret that was being kept from him by Team NMS. She brought her hand to the front of her shirt and clenched it tightly. "...he of all people deserves to know what's been happening."

"So you want to send him to an early grave by stressing him out even further?" Sai inquired, crossing his arms and looked at Sakura with distressed eyes. The artist couldn't understand why Sakura was behaving this way and making things even more difficult than they already were. Sure, he wanted to know out of curiosity, but he refused to verbally assault them for answers.

"This is ridiculous and crazy, you know that?" Nariko had stated after Sai had tried to amend the situation in his own way. Even though she still didn't really like him that much, the raven had gave him credit for at least trying to help them out. "I am so disappointed in you, Sakura or should I call you 'Godmother'?"

Sakura's eyes had widen from being called by that name. A week ago, she had remembered that Nariko had whispered those words in her sleep after the medic nin had forced her to get some rest. Back then, Sakura thought that she was simply hearing things, but now she knew that Nariko did indeed call her that subconsciously that time. Sai had looked at Sakura slightly baffled by the new information that he was bestowed with. In the future, Sakura was Nariko and Miyuki's Godmother and now he waited for even more information to come out as the tension in the air continued to grow around them...

**XxX**

"I did it. I really did it..." Naruto exclaimed after he had calmed down from his cheering.

In the Precinct House, most of the shinobi was still in shock that the blond shinobi was able to change the mind of the Daimyō during a court proceeding. Homura and Koharu we still not pleased with the outcome of this trial and feared that Naruto had made a false move by terminating Sasuke's death sentence. Tsunade and the other officials were still amazed that he was able to give such a powerful and moving statement on his friend's behalf. That would be something they would never forget.

The Daimyō had cleared his throat to get Naruto's attention, which he got a couple of seconds later. "The trial is officially over. I thank all of you for taking time out of your busy schedule to be here today. Court adjourned!" He slammed down the gavel and the case was concluded to be finally over.

As the plethora of shinobi had started to disperse themselves from the courthouse, Kakashi and Yamato had walked up to Naruto to congratulate him on a job well done.

"Naruto, you were great." Yamato stated as he ruffled through the blond's spiked locks. Naruto seriously had the wood user worried for a moment there, but he was glad that the blond had won despite how slim his chances of success were.

Naruto nodded in gratitude from the sensei's praise. "Thank you, Captain Yamato-taicho."

While they were talking, some of the shinobi passing by them were giving Naruto a mixture of emotions. Some were happy that he was able to save his friend's life while others was showing disapproval for his actions. The blond couldn't believe that his fellow shinobi from the same village had wanted Sasuke dead. They might not understand why Naruto took the actions that he did, but he wasn't gonna stand for them judging him like that.

Kakashi had stopped Naruto from doing something unnecessary and he smiled at him behind his mask to reassure the blond that he had done nothing wrong. "Don't worry about them, Naruto. Your decision of saving Sasuke will come to terms someday. They will see why you fought so hard to save him in the long-run..."

At the front of the courthouse, the ANBU was releasing Sasuke from his binds and was about to escort him out so he can receive his punishment. Just when they were about to leave, Naruto had stopped them and ran up to see Sasuke before they took him away.

"What are you doing, Naruto?" The head ANBU captain had questioned him.

Without much hesitation, Naruto had gently hugged Sasuke and his eyes slowly shut as he relished in the feeling of actually holding him. The blond still felt that everything that happened was surreal, but this just confirmed that all of his efforts had paid off in the end. A single tear had escaped from his closed eyes as he held Sasuke close to him.

"See? I told you that you wouldn't die." Naruto chided in amusement. "Have some faith in me..."

"You're such an indignant fool, Naruto." Sasuke growled out in irritation, being reluctant in wanting Naruto's small gesture of affection. "What you just did was straight asinine." the raven had felt the blond literally grinning from the insult. Sasuke should have known that it wouldn't have any effect on the blond.

"I wouldn't be me if I wasn't. You should know that by now, Sasuke." Naruto had embraced him even tighter as his cheek had gently brushed over Sasuke's briefly. The blond didn't want anyone to hear this and he lowered his voice to a whisper and he stated, _"Be grateful that my feelings run deep for you, teme..."_

Before Sasuke could protest or say anything back to him, Naruto was now walking away from him. Perhaps the blond shouldn't have told Sasuke that, but maybe it would make raven do some kind of thinking while he was going through his punishment. As he got to the middle of the room, Naruto had ceased his walking which got the ANBU's attention.

"I know that I won't be able to go with you guys to make sure that he will be all right, but let me say one thing to all of you." Naruto had showed the ANBU his profile and they had instantly saw the noticeable color change in his eyes from the cool blue to a fierce red. The pupil had also changed and formed into a slit. "If any of you graze even a single strand of hair on his head, you gonna be dealing with me. Got it?"

The ANBU was slightly taken aback from Naruto's threat. The way his voice was embedded with a dangerous malice, it was like it didn't belong to him at all.

_**It seems like you've taken a page out of my book, kit...**_

_'Kurama...'_ Naruto wasn't expecting the Nine Tails to intervene at a time like this and its timing was not good. He didn't feel like dealing with him right now. _'What is it? I'm not in the mood...'_

_**You might have won the battle for now, but the war is far from over. You have yet to experience true pain and agony...**_

Naruto was a bit confused by the fox's claim and what did he mean by not truly experiencing it? His entire life was the epitome of pain and agony, so it didn't make any sense why Kurama would say something like that. Naruto needed to know more. _'What are you talking about?'_

_**The nightmare that you've experienced when you were put under that genjutsu?**_

And just like that, those horrible visions had came back even stronger. Sasuke. Nariko and Miyuki. Blood. Black thorns. Lifeless corpses. The demonic and satanic voice that was filled with hatred. He remembered it all in a matter of second and Naruto scowled under his breath from seeing them again.

_'Now I do. I didn't want to remember. Thanks a lot.'_

_**Naruto, your will power will be greatly tested and it must never be weaken under any circumstances. If it does, not only will that vision become a reality, but you will be the one responsible for it.**_

_'Say what?! Stop talking in riddles and tell me, Kurama!'_ To Naruto, telling him this information in pieces and abstracts was not gonna do him any good.

_**I'm afraid that I can't say anymore than that, kit. For now, the pain will continue to come to you in waves on occasion. No matter what happens, you must not let yourself fall into despair. If you do, not only will it kill you, but it will destroy everything and all of humanity around you...**_

Naruto's mind had went numb from that statement. Now humanity was on the line now? What else could possibly happen that hasn't happened already? Was some type of war gonna break out soon? Was a new enemy gonna try and attack the village? What was it that Kurama was trying to tell him?

_**As the jinchuriki, this is something that you must figure out on your own. I hope that you can continue to fight and strive until the very end. I know you can do it...**_

Kurama had disappeared and Naruto came back from the inside of his conscience. _'Wow, Kurama. You sure know how to lay it on a person. How much more of this can a person take? This is becoming too much for even me to endure...'_

"Naruto, are you okay?" Kakashi asked out of concern, but Naruto didn't answer.

_'Even so, I'll endure everything until the bitter end. I won't let anything deter from protecting everyone...'_ Even with the news Kurama gave him concerning his dreams, Naruto was not gonna quit. He refused to quit and let those dreams run his life.

"Naruto?" Yamato was the one who asked this time, but he didn't get a response, either.

_'**No matter what!**'_ Naruto had smiled that smile that made you feel that everything was gonna be fine.

_'Jiraiya, do you see the pupil that you've raised? He's grown into such a fine and proud shinobi with such an extraordinary dream and will power that can surpass almost anything. He is the light that is guiding the village towards a new and brighter future...'_ Tsunade had been watching Naruto the entire time and she knows that he will be the new pillar that holds the village together. No doubt in her mind that Naruto was a shinobi with a heart and strength that can't be surpassed...

**XxX**

Back at the hospital, things were not getting better for Team NMS and Nariko's patience was wearing thin with each passing moment. Miyuki couldn't really do much with her sister when she became so enraged that no amount of words can get through to her. Sarina on the other hand was still focusing on the situation at hand, but every now and then, he gaze would fall on Sai. Kei had to keep his eyes on Sarina and hoped that she didn't do anything too reckless. The chakra user had known his sister to be a big softie when it came down to their father.

"I can't even believe the way you're acting right now. It's like you're not even the same person anymore!" Nariko was slowly becoming more and more vehement with her words.

"Nariko..." Kei answered solemnly as he bit his bottom lip out of agitation. He could see clearly that this was hurting her more than she had let on. She had always been good with hiding her true emotions through anger.

"And to think that you're the one who raised and nurtured us when we were children! You protected us when our parents had died for our sake. I...I don't like this side of you at all. It's terrible..." The raven's voice was cracked, but it held so much hurt and pain behind it.

"Sis, don't say that! You don't mean it!" The blonde's voice went unnoticed, but Kei had mentally agreed with her. Nariko was gonna caused more problems than fixed them and her rash behavior was not helping them. In fact, it was making things worse for them.

The raven's fist had clenched fervently from keeping her cool under control, but she could no longer maintain the anguish that resided within her heart and she let her true feelings be known. "This woman is not my Godmother and she would never act like this! Never!" Unable to take anymore, Nariko had walked passed her Sakura and purposely brushed her shoulder against hers to insinuate her point very clearly. After the raven opened the door, she slammed it shut as she headed down the stairs and back to her room.

"Nariko!" Miyuki called out to her, but it didn't do any good since the raven was out of reach of her sister's voice.

"That damn hothead..." Sarina was so disgusted with the outcome of this situation, but she was even more disgusted with Nariko. The redhead was gonna seriously knock some sense into her when the two of them were alone.

Nariko's words had pierced through Sakura like a blade puncturing through human flesh. Was she wrong for how she had came at them and became demanding with her own selfish reasons to know answers? The medic nin was sure she was doing this for Naruto's sake, but now she wasn't so sure about it anymore. She was being mindful of everyone's feelings and yet still end up hurting someone in the process. What was happening to her and why she turning into someone so unsightly?

"My lady..." Kei started. "You'll have to excuse her. She's not acting like herself right now. I deeply apologize for her behavior. With all the events happening, it's just-"

"No, it's quite all right. I'm fine. Don't worry about it." Her conviction on how she handled this situation here had depicted her in a way that she didn't think it was possible. More than likely, she was certain that she had lost Nariko's trust from this verbal altercation.

_'Sakura, are you really all right?'_ Sai, the voice of reason was now deeply concerned about Sakura's well being. After seeing it firsthand for the first time, the artist had to try and figure out what was causing her so much inner turmoil and as a member of Team 7, he would get to the source of it as soon as possible. He wanted to at least give his teammate some ease from this constant pain.

"Anyway, we have a message for you from our Hokage and we were told to give it to you specifically." Kei had pulled out a small scroll from inside of his pouch. It was a decorated, brick red scroll that was tied up with golden string and had detailed embroidery designed on it. The chakra user had offer it to Sakura and she had reluctantly accepted it.

"For me?" The medic nin slowly started to opened to scroll and Sai had came closer so he could take a good look at it.

"Yes, my lady." Kei had adjusted his glasses and had went to stand next to his sister and waited for Sakura to read the message out loud.

_Dear Sakura Haruno,_

_If you are reading this letter, that means that things have gotten beyond your control and understanding. But, please don't bombard these children with questions that they can't possibly answer. I understand the pain that you're feeling, but do not fret. Everything will soon come to light. I need you to gather all of the members of Konoha 13, Team Taka so they all meet with the 5th Hokage in the business room below the Hokage Mansion. In a week's time, all that you want to know will be revealed then..._

_Sincerely,_  
_The 8th Hokage_

"What on Earth...?" Sakura had closed her eyes and inwardly groaned after reading the letter. Now the medic nin felt even more terrible about what had transpired not too long ago. Maybe if she and Sai had met them a little later on, the group would of given her this letter and things wouldn't be as messy as they were right now. If only she knew about this letter, perhaps she would have showed some restraint and let them explain things to everyone without being forced to. Sakura now knew that she had made a mistake in that regard, but she couldn't simply try to make amends with Nariko so quickly after angering her. The medic nin would let her cool down and hopefully when the time is right, she would apologize to her.

"The Eighth...Hokage...?" Sai was amazed from the thought of the village even having a eighth Hokage. Now his curiosity had piqued even higher than before and it had him even more interested in learning more about them and wanting to have a prominent understanding about Team NMS' true purpose..

_'Daddy...'_ She couldn't deny it any longer. Sarina slowly made her way towards Sai, opening her arms to him as she got closer to him. _'I've waited so long to see you again and here you are...'_ Her feelings were being overwhelmed by sheer joy and happiness as her eyes glimmered with hope of getting just one chance to embrace him.

It wasn't until a moment later that Kei realized what she was about to do and he had to stop her. Coming from behind her, the chakra expert had grabbed her by her waist in order to keep Sarina from going any further. "Sarina, stop it! Don't do this right now!"

"Let go of me!" The redhead struggled to free herself from her elder brother, but he kept a firm and strong hold on her. Sarina held in her tears as she continued to move and thrash about in Kei's arms. "Please, Kei..."

"Is everything all right with her?" Sai grew concerned with the way Sarina started acting out and he noticed that her rueful onyx eyes had been directed towards him. The artist wanted to know what he had done wrong or what was the reason why the redhead was showing pain and sadness towards him?

"Yes. Everything is fine. Sarina's just a little emotional and concerned about Nariko. She'll be all right, though." That was the explanation Kei gave him, but he wished he sounded as sure as he did when he had said that. Kei was a lot better at keeping calm than Sarina did, but that didn't mean he wasn't feeling the same way that she did. _'Sarina, I feel the same way about our mother, but we'll have to wait another week to tell them who we are. I hate this just as much as you do, but just hold on a little longer...'_ In reality, he too had wanted to embraced his Father, but since they had to follow a certain procedure from their Hokage, Kei would had to put his personal feelings aside.

No matter how much it hurt him, Kei would continued to be the one to keep the team together and being level-headed. That was the best thing he could do for the team right now...

**XxX**

After everything was taken care of at the Precinct House, Naruto along with Kakashi and Yamato were making their way outside to get some much fresh air from all the chaos that the trial had caused. Naruto was indeed happy that he was able to save Sasuke from execution, but now he had something else that he had to do: visit Nariko at the hospital and possibly meet Miyuki as well. As he walked down the concrete stairs, the blond had looked up and was greeted with something he wasn't expecting. All of his friends were there with mirthful smiles and their positive expressions had took Naruto by surprise.

"Naruto, you were awesome!" Ino had stated with excited as she gave him a cute wink. The blonde was still a bit excited from hearing about Naruto's court victory.

"Yeah, truly amazing!" Chōji was just as excited as Ino, but he was being a bit more reserved that she was. But still, the robust shinobi couldn't help but show admiration for Naruto's courage and belief.

"I didn't know you had that in ya! I'm impressed!" Kiba was not one to get impressed so easily, but Naruto did the impossible and pulled Sasuke away from the burning fires of the afterlife. The tracker nin had a whole new level of respect towards Naruto now.

Rock Lee had leaped from out of the group and literally glomped Naruto in a manly hug. His tears of youth had began to overflow passionately as he nuzzled the blond's cheek. "Naruto-kun! You did it, my youthful comrade!"

As much as Naruto had liked the fact that Lee was so elated about him beating the council in court, he was literally trying to pry Lee off of him. "Okay, centipede brows, enough with the manly tears of joy already..."

The blond had turned to his left and he had seen Hinata with a sweet smile on her face. He had appreciated her, because she had been supporting him ever since his feelings for Sasuke were becoming more and more apparent. "Naruto-kun, I'm so happy for you."

"That means a lot to me. Thank you, Hinata." Naruto was so grateful to her for being so understanding and caring. She still cared about him from the bottom of her heart and the blond could easily see that.

"So, what's the next step, Naruto?"

Naruto laughed from the prodigy's question. Leave it to Neji to get right down to business after enjoying a small moment of Naruto's success. "Well, I would tell you, but I'm not suppose to discuss those matters outside of the courtroom."

"Despite that, Naruto can rest easy for a moment." Shikamaru concurred after arriving to join everyone. The shadow user just grinned whole-heartily ar the blond shinobi and Naruto had returned his gesture with a grin of his own. Shikamaru had to give Naruto all the credit in the world for turning Sasuke's near execution completely around and saving his life. He called it nothing short of a miracle that he managed to pull that off. Shikamaru also realized that in the future, the village will have nothing to worry about. Nothing at all.

"Yeah!" Naruto had agreed and he couldn't help but look up the clear blue sky that were filled with pure white clouds. He felt like all the pressure and weight that was crushing him during the week was completely obliterated, but Kurama's words were still plaguing him. _'They've all supported me up to this point. I couldn't have asked for better people as my precious friends. Kurama, I know what you've said earlier, but I'm not gonna give you the satisfaction of being right. So far, everything seems to fine so far, except for those nightmares. I hope things can stay like for a little while...'_

Kakashi and Yamato had just stood in the background and watched their student continued to socialized with his friends. It was a wonderful sight to see him smile again after all the pain and discretion that he went through. Now, they wondered what had Naruto zoned out while they were still inside the courthouse earlier. They only hoped that things could remain peaceful without anything that could possible spiral Naruto back into being secluded and depressed. If that does happened, both Kakashi and Yamato will be right there to help Naruto and be there for him...

* * *

*** * *NEXT CHAPTER SYNOPSIS* * ***

The next chapter of Changing Fate is:

**Movement In The Shadows**  
_(__影の運動 __Kage no Undō)_

Touran of the Bakudai plans his next move. Meanwhile, the procedures are done for Sasuke and the both of them are taken to a new place where the blond will be overseeing Sasuke's progress for the next four years. Also, Sarina finds Nariko and beat some sense into her...


End file.
